Yes, The Clinic will still be needed!

While the recent passage of the health care reform bill was an important first step towards covering everyone, it will still leave 23 million uninsured and an additional 15 million with new coverage, but limited access to primary care doctors. Across the country, clinics like ours will continue to be the safety net for people without access to quality health care. Quite the opposite of thinking we won't be needed, we remain aware that we will still be seeing the same population of patients that currently falls through the cracks in the health care system. The only difference may be that rather that just touching the surface of that need, we will be making a much greater impact. I don't see our patient numbers decreasing as a result of the reform bill. In fact, as things fall into place over the next few years, our numbers may increase.

The Clinic won't be receiving any new money as a result of the health reform legislation. The legislation does include $11 billion in funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers, or FQHCs, but that is not what we are. We are a free clinic - a model which operates as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, sees only those who are uninsured, utilizes mostly volunteers, and is funded by voluntary gifts from patients and the community. Federally Qualified Health Centers will take any type of insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare. They will also see uninsured patients on a sliding fee scale. They operate on a staff rather than volunteer basis and are government-funded. Quite a different model.  Free clinics see about 8 million uninsured patients each year, and FQHCs see a total of 20 million patients, 7 million of which are uninsured.