How healthcare reform impacts the Community Care Clinic

Several people have asked about the effect that healthcare reform might have on our Community Care Clinic in LaGrange, KY. The short answer is that we believe reform will not change the need for the Clinic. One reason is that 10-20 million Americans will still be without health insurance coverage. In addition, coverage benefits advocated in reform proposals are not scheduled to begin until 2014.

We expect to maintain the current level of service as healthcare reform unfolds. Actually, demand for Clinic care may increase if small businesses pay the proposed fine and opt out of employee coverage. At this time, it is very difficult to predict the exact impact, but it is safe to say that the Community Care Clinic will continue to operate in the future.

The Community Care Clinic focus is on those who have no other means to get medical care. In other words, we do not take Medicare, Medicaid nor Passport patients. The reason is that patients with these types of coverage can get care in private, University or publically funded clinics. Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHC) are publically funded clinics, for example. The Portland Clinic is part of the large FQHC serving Jefferson County, KY. 

While treating patients on Medicaid or Passport may be a way to support our Clinic, the increase in regulatory paperwork and staff make this option unavailable at this time. In addition, if the Community Care Clinic accepted these patients, there would be no appointments available for patients without any kind of insurance.

So, in a nutshell: HDB expects to continue operating the Community Care Clinic and making improvement to its services now and in the future. Thus, continuing its mission to improve access to healthcare for the uninsured.