Community Care Clinic patients are people you see everyday. They work in restaurants, for small businesses or do construction work. They are too young for Medicare and do not qualify for Medicaid. Basically, they are workers who have never had insurance or who have lost their jobs, thus coverage, during the recent economic downturn. Most of our patients desire to work, but there are some who do not have a great deal of education which severely limits their job choices.
According to 2007 Census data, there are some 46 million without health insurance. There is great debate in Congress about exactly how many people do not have insurance. That argument centers on who was included in these data. However, it is safe to say that millions of Americans are not insured and young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 account for at least a quarter of them. Community Care Clinic data mirror these demographics with only about 25% of our patients being non-English speaking people. Locally, Census data indicate that there are 9, 450 uninsured people living in
In a nutshell, Community Care Clinic maintains over 700 patients who are between the ages of 19 and 64, live within 25 miles of LaGrange and who either work low-paying jobs, receive unemployment compensation or public assistance through food stamps. Even though our patients may seem young, many of them are in poor health due to lifestyle choices. The majority of Clinic patients are smokers, for instance.
It is predictable that high blood pressure, diabetes and breathing problems are the primary conditions represented by Community Care Clinic patients. Other conditions such as joint and muscle pain and depression, are common complaints among Clinic patient, but these patients are referred to specialists for care because the Clinic is neither a pain management nor specialty care facility.
It is likewise expected that our patients need help getting prescribed medications as well as required diagnostic tests. The Clinic’s partnership with Baptist Hospital Northeast, Baptist Healthcare System’s regional facility, provides adjusted rates for tests ordered by Clinic physicians. While most prescriptions given at the Clinic are generic, $4.00 medications, The HDB Service Group, Inc. offers its Prescription Access service (affiliated with the Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program) for patients who cannot afford medications not on the $4 programs.
Future additions to the Clinic are a chiropractic day and unique educational opportunities for people with chronic conditions which can be controlled by medications and lifestyle changes. All-in-all The Community Care Clinic remains a vital part of healthcare options for the uninsured in our area and plans a future committed to service for anyone without access to healthcare.
The Community Care Clinic operates entirely on private, tax deductible donations. See the “Contributions” tab for information on giving to the Clinic.