Uninsured Maury and Lawrence county residents will soon be eligible for an expanded list of adult primary care services.

New services will be available through the Lawrence County Health Department by Jan. 3. Maury County will see expanded services by July 1 after construction of a new health department facility.

Services will be expanded in a total of 47 counties. These services are a result of funding to strengthen the state?s health care safety net and will help those disenrolled by TennCare as well as the 580,000 Tennesseans who are without health insurance.

Basic medical services will be offered on a sliding fee scale based on income, with a $5 minimum fee for each visit.

?Now that we have regained control of TennCare, we can turn our attention to the very real problem of the uninsured in Tennessee,? Gov. Phil Bredesen said. ?Safety net investments that increase access to primary care services for uninsured and underinsured Tennesseans are some of the most important we can make.?

The health departments will offer basic lab services and a limited pharmacy. No narcotics will be maintained at the health department sites.

County health departments will continue to offer immunizations, Well Child/EPSDT screens, WIC nutrition services, children?s special services care coordination, breast and cervical cancer screening, family planning services, HIV counseling and testing and communicable disease control.

Columbia Daily Herald