The Uninsured Problem
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of uninsured Americans rose to 46.6 million citizens in 2005, resulting in 15.9 percent of the country’s population having no health insurance. The trend over recent years has been a steadily increasing rate of uninsured citizens. The level of health of uninsured Americans tends to be lower than those who have health insurance. Many citizens blame the United States government for not providing enough funding for healthcare. This problem has left many pointing fingers at whom to hold responsible for the millions of Americans without health insurance.
Community Action
Yet, some are taking action to help solve the uninsured dilemma. An article run in the April 23, 2007 edition of Modern Healthcare, examines what some hospitals in Oklahoma have done to combat the uninsured problem in their region. The hospitals have turned to the community to answer the question, “who should be responsible for the health of a nation’s uninsured population?” A collaborative effort is being taken by all aspects of the community, taking the initiative to provide access to healthcare to those without health insurance. One of the main barriers to receiving healthcare is access. In the United States, the toughest barrier to access is not having health insurance, or the means to pay for healthcare services.
Free Clinic Project
The pilot project has set up free clinics that rely on volunteers to provide healthcare and services. The free clinics have been named the “medical home” for those uninsured patients, keeping their medical histories in a database for future follow-up. The free clinic healthcare is considered “uncompensated” care, as it is provided on a volunteer basis. Physicians, nurses and students volunteer their time to make the project work successfully. Volunteers, donations, and partnerships with local healthcare providers and facilities have helped to deliver the services free of charge. Funding for the pilot project has largely been provided by foundations and charitable organizations, yet remains the biggest obstacle in expanding the project beyond the pilot duration. Free clinics exist throughout the country but are in constant need of volunteers, supplies and contributions.
Cover the Uninsured
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has also taken steps to combat the growing problem of uninsured Americans. The foundation has deemed a week in April, “Cover the Uninsured Week”, “promoting access for those without health insurance coverage.” The foundation aims to make the problem of uninsured Americans, a top priority, going so far as to propose legislative strategies to address the issues.
As policymakers argue what to do about the problem of the uninsured, the free clinic projects around the United States are proving it just takes an effort on everyone’s part by volunteering a few hours of time and energy, to help provide healthcare to the uninsured.
