Daily Memo: Health Care:

Debate over free clinic in park obscures bigger issue

Tiffany Brown

Loyce Smith, left, of United Methodist Social Ministries, congratulates Dr. Florence Jameson, center, after the County Commission voted June 2 to approve a clinic for the uninsured that Jameson will run. The clinic will have a one-year lease and be limited to 6,000 patient visits in the first year in deference to the concerns of people who live nearby.

By Marshall Allen (contact)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 | 2 a.m.

County OKs plan for free medical care clinic in park (6-2-2009)
Health clinic plans meet prejudice (5-16-2009)

Archive of Sun health stories

The recent debate about whether a public park is a fitting location for a free medical clinic only teases to the much larger challenge facing the nation: delivering medical care to people without health insurance.

The immediate problem facing Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid was to find a middle ground between Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada, which wanted to run a free clinic in a vacant county building in Paradise Park, and park neighbors who complained that a clinic for the uninsured could draw to the park patients who might be homeless or criminals.

Reid ticked off several conditions before the commissioners unanimously approved the agreement: The clinic will have a one-year lease, which will be reviewed before renewal to ensure the park was not harmed by its presence. It would be limited to 6,000 patient visits in the first year. Clinic officials would provide on-site security and monthly reports to Reid to ensure no derelict patients ruined the park, near Tropicana and Eastern avenues.

Reid said he wanted the clinic to serve the people who were most hurt by the health care crisis: those who have jobs that don’t provide insurance, but make too much money to qualify for government-funded health insurance plans. Wealthy people can afford insurance, he said. And people with no money qualify for government-funded plans.

“If you’re in the middle, though, that’s where the hole is in our safety net,” Reid said. “If you’re working and have inadequate insurance or no insurance, you’re worse off than anybody in the community.”

And that’s the rub. The United States is the most affluent nation in the world, but does not provide even basic health care to a large percentage of residents.

The advocacy group Families USA highlighted this problem in a recent report. About 841,000 Nevadans younger than 65 — a third of the non-elderly population — went without insurance in 2007-08, the report said.

According to Families USA:

• More than four in five of Nevada’s uninsured residents were in families with full- or part-time workers.

• Nearly two-thirds of Nevadans from families with annual incomes less than twice the poverty level — $42,400 for a family of four in 2008 — went without health insurance at some point in 2007-2008.

• One in four Nevadans with family incomes at or above twice the poverty level went without health insurance at some point in 2007-08.

For the PBS documentary program “Frontline,” correspondent T.R. Reid visited five other capitalist democracies — England, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and Taiwan — to show how they address the challenge of providing insurance to everyone. The nations used various combinations of employer- or government-provided health insurance to pay for health care. Each nation’s plan had its drawbacks — taxes, doctors who did not get rich, hospitals facing financial difficulties. But one group always came out ahead: patients.

A 2005 study in the policy journal Health Affairs found that illness or injury and subsequent medical bills were a factor in about half of all bankruptcies in the United States. On T.R. Reid’s journey around the world, he asked the same question of medical experts in each country: Have you ever heard of a patient in your country filing for bankruptcy because of medical bills?

The respondents were aghast that such a thing could happen. In some countries patients don’t even see medical bills, much less face an inability to pay them.

Patients at the Volunteers in Medicine clinic, which could open in November, will be charged no fees and will pay no bills.

In America, that’s an exceptional concept. In other developed capitalistic nations, it’s standard.

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

By mk1234

6/16/09 at 8:11 a.m.

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In 79 my son was born in England we were in the Air Force,after I came home from the hospital the british medical sent over a nurse who cooked cleaned took care of the baby for the first 2 months while i recovered.Never charged me anything,they're medical is free to them in that country.I'm appauled at this country and the way the Hospitals,doctors and medical people are here,you walk into an office and the first thing you are asked is we need a copy of your medical insurance.Well what next if you say I don't have insurance,them they demand payment up front or you can't see a doctor.Asking for medical help should never be turned down,we live in a country where everyone is trying to get rich by becoming doctors and such.We as country should never put someone's life over money but that is done here so often.Doctor's are in it to get rich,we have doctors coming from other countries because they can open there own practice and make alot of money,they are not the ones facing the patients at the meadical counter and turning them away becuase of no iurance,it's there guidelines.Now we have doctors who don't care about the profession they have entered because of this greedy country we live in.this should not be a privelige to stay alive this needs to be controlled by the goverment and for the people who don't have insurance should not be turned away.Now with the jobles rate going up I guess in this country the death rate will also.We need strict reform.Hopitals ,Doctors should not be able to turn people away, they need to protect us as a soceity.I hope Obama can straighten this mess out,before we get another Bush look alike in there to screw things up again.
By davidwayneosedach

6/16/09 at 8:15 a.m.

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Yes the homeless, and criminals will use the free clinic. They have no alternative. It is cheaper than receiving medical attention in the emergency room.
By LVLights

6/16/09 at 10:38 a.m.

Suggest removal

It's really a shame that in this country our society assumes that if you are poor and homeless you must be a criminal. If you are lucky enough to have medical coverage; lucky you. But as a nation we need to start helping others. We have a responsibility as citizens to give back to our community and help others. As a people we are getting very spoiled with the thinking that I've got mine so, you that don't go away. Very often I hear this type of service is very good, but not in my neighborhood. I don't want these people in my neighborhood. I even hear I don't want a church in my neighborhood because I don't want the traffic it brings. So, where would you have these things. As citizens we have a building that happens to be on the edge of a park. Medical care for those who have none. Do the math, you aren't talking about that many people on a daily basis. Brother, help your brother. Help your neighbor. You never know when the tables may turn and you may be next.