Free Clinics Are ‘Critical Part of Healthcare System’

To the Editor:
Although the Supreme Court ruling on King v. Burwell was a victory for the Obama Administration and for those who receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the hard fact remains that there are still millions of individuals who do not have access to affordable healthcare and health insurance. In fact, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 31 million Americans will remain uninsured following the full implementation of the ACA. As a result, there remains an urgent need for the life-saving healthcare provided by free and charitable clinics.
Free clinics, like Volunteers in Medicine of Cape May County (VIM), remain a critical part of the healthcare system in our country, providing help to those living without access to affordable healthcare, mental healthcare and prescription access. Daily, the staff and volunteers at VIM hear heartbreaking stories from patients about how healthcare remains unobtainable. Patients who signed up for a bronze-level plan, find the high deductibles render the plan virtually unusable. Patients who should qualify for expanded Medicaid are caught in a backlog that has them waiting up to a year to receive this benefit.
Unfortunately, we still live in a country of haves and have nots when it comes to healthcare. We have all heard the talking points of long wait times for care in countries with universal healthcare. The fact remains if you are uninsured or underinsured in America, there are no wait times here because there is no care. VIM regularly provides care to Americans who have not seen a doctor in years, and who are living with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, but cannot afford to take their life-saving medications. We help laborers who cannot work due to a torn meniscus or rotator cuff. These injuries require simple, surgical procedures that would not only improve their quality of life, but allow them to return to the work force. Surgery is not an option for the uninsured.
Hopefully one day we will live in a country where no one feels alone and forgotten because they cannot afford to see a doctor. This ruling is another step in improving access to healthcare, but unfortunately it does not answer this plea.