A health care company that makes access to services easier for Kentuckians on Medicaid opened an office in Bowling Green on Friday.
At the Passport Health PlanOne Stop Health Center in Fairview Plaza, members can walk in and get connected to health care resources. During specified times they'll be able to access services like COVID vaccinations, which were offered Friday by Sheldon Express Pharmacy.
At the opening event Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear said Passport’s six One Stop Health Centers in Kentucky are important to help people get the health care they need, including medical treatment and mental health services.
“I believe in my core that health care is a basic human right. And that every single Kentuckian, every single American, ought to be able to see a doctor when they’re sick," said Beshear. "One of the biggest challenges to that is access.”
In addition to Bowling Green, Passport has One Stop Health Centers in Covington, Hazard, Louisville, Lexington and Owensboro.
Passport is owned by Molina Healthcare.
Ryan Sadler is the CEO of Passport Health Plan based in Louisville. He said about one-third of Kentuckians are on Medicaid.
“The reality is the old days where it was just for the extremely poor are over. There’s quite a large swath of people and young families and young mothers and small families that are Medicaid eligible and rely on these benefits," said Sadler. "And not just health care, but all of the wraparound services that we provide.”
Former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear expanded Medicaid in 2014under the Affordable Care Act.
Kentucky’s Medicaid program now covers more than 1.5 million residents.
