Health Care for the Homeless
The Health Care for the Homeless Program is a major source of care for homeless persons in the United States, serving patients that live on the street, in shelters, or in transitional housing.
Working within community facility (Transitions Homeless Recovery Center), we deliver health care and case management services to homeless persons throughout the Midlands of South Carolina.
Recognizing the complex needs of homeless persons, we strive to provide a coordinated, comprehensive approach to health care, including substance abuse and mental health services.
If you live on the street, in a shelter, doubled-up, or without a fixed and regular place to sleep, you may qualify to enroll in the Health Care for the Homeless Program.
Anyone who is registered as homeless in the Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) and is affiliated with Midlands Area Consortium for the Homeless (MACH) can enroll. If you are unsure about your status or need assistance, please contact a Care Coordinator at (803) 260-4639 or care-coord@ecchc.org.
- To take charge of your personal health
- For the convenience of the health care visits
- To access free and discounted medical and community services
Program beneficiaries may receive all services Cooperative Health offers, including:
- Free adult primary care services
- Free pediatric primary care services
- Counseling & Behavioral Medicine
- OB/GYN
- Podiatry
- Dental
- Vision
We also provide:
- Prescription medication assistance
- Access to discounted specialty care
- Referrals to partner organizations also providing services to the homeless
- Hospitalization or ER treatments
- Prescription assistance for any prescriptions coming from non-Cooperative Health doctors
- Pain management
- Narcotics/controlled substances (we reserve the right to decline to pay for any medications that we deem not medically necessary)
Most of our adult medical services are provided at Transitions, Eau Claire Internal Medicine and Cayce West Columbia Primary Care Center, a team approach to help transition people from homelessness to stability.
If you need help for a sick child in Columbia, please come to either Five Points Pediatrics Walk-In Center or Sterling Sharpe Pediatrics.
For assistance applying for and enrolling in the Health Care for the Homeless Program, please contact Cooperative Health’s homeless program team at (803) 730-0742.
- For Transitions residents, please have state ID, Social Security card, and Transitions ID, any health insurance cards (Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance), as well as proof of income.
- If staying at another shelter, bring a letter of residency in addition to these documents.
- If staying on the street or doubling up, bring any proof of residency possible.
Yes, we will accept whatever insurance you have and work from there. The Health Care for the Homeless Program is not insurance, and the primary criteria we consider for eligibility is homelessness.
