Augusta agency offering free health care could be forced to turn people away

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By Tina Terry tterry@nbcaugusta.com

Story Published: Nov 19, 2008 at 5:56 PM EST

Story Updated: Nov 19, 2008 at 9:34 PM EST

AUGUSTA, Ga. - An Augusta agency that provides medical help to the poor and uninsured is uncertain about its future.

Project Access helped hundreds of uninsured people get the medical help they needed last year.

But it lost $45,000 from its 2009 budget due to city budget cuts. The director says the agency will be able to maintain its current level of care next year, if the economy doesn't get worse.

"As you know the economy is in a downturn. If we were to get a massive influx of patients it could mean that we would have to turn patients away," said Director Daniel Walton.

Walton says that $45,000 was enough to pay for medication for about 70 people for a year.

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