Mental Health Copay Assistance is a program of LOHF that provides copay assistance for the behavioral healthcare needs of those who cannot afford it.
Formerly known as PALCO (Project Access Lancaster County), it transitioned in July 2017 from being an independent nonprofit to a program of LOHF. PALCO was founded in 2007 with the mission to improve the healthcare of Lancaster County residents by increasing access to quality healthcare providers. From 2007-2015, volunteer PALCO healthcare providers contributed a staggering $47.8 million of donated medical care. In April 2015, PALCO ended its volunteer program of donated medical service for the uninsured (largely due to the passage of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion in Pennsylvania to provide medical insurance) and transitioned to become a copay program.
Collaborative Community Partnership
Since 2015, PALCO has participated as a grant recipient in the application with Lancaster General Health/Penn Medicine to the United Way of Lancaster County for “Let’s Talk, Lancaster: Changing the conversation about mental health.”
This collaborative partnership has funded this key program for those in our community who need mental health care, but cannot afford copays and premiums. LOHF is now the recipient of this grant in a collaboration of resources and experience to continue this vital program and reach more people in need.
“Because the co-pay and premium assistance program PALCO was previously managing aligns so naturally with the LOHF mission of improving behavioral health services, it was only fitting we take this over,” said LOHF Board Chair, Shawn Barron. “So many people in need rely on this program to help them make ends meet; it would be detrimental not to continue this.”
How to Apply
Contact Lisa Riffanacht at (717) 392-1595 or lisa_palco@comcast.net for more information or to have an application mailed to you. You may also download it at lohf.org/mental-health-copay-assistance/.
