Abstract
Free clinics provide care to over 1.8 million people in the United States every year and are a valuable safety net for uninsured and underinsured patients. The Affordable Care Act has resulted in millions of newly insured Americans, yet there is continued demand for healthcare at free clinics. In this study, we assessed health insurance status and eligibility among 489 patients who visited a free clinic in 2016. Eighty-seven percent of patients seen were uninsured, 53.1% of whom were eligible for health insurance (Medicaid or subsidized insurance premiums). The majority of these patients completed health insurance applications at their visit with the help of a navigator. A majority of patients who were not eligible for health insurance lacked citizenship status. This study highlights that a significant number of patients who visit free clinics are eligible for health insurance, and that free clinics are important sites for health insurance navigation programs.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Jessica Schultz for her data collection efforts. Likewise, the authors acknowledge all staff members, volunteers, students and board members of the Rochester Area Salvation Army’s Good Samaritan Health Clinic for providing care to patients in need.
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Sessions, K., Hassan, A., McLeod, T.G. et al. Health Insurance Status and Eligibility Among Patients who Seek Healthcare at a Free Clinic in the Affordable Care Act Era. J Community Health 43, 263–267 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-017-0414-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-017-0414-8