The Uninsured - Giving them a voice

Never mix politics & religion? But what about health insurance and a faith based health clinic? They do intersect. Do I get involved Lord? As a Christian faith based clinic we are providing medical & dental care to the homeless uninsured. How frustrating each day as we care for people with serious health issues but they don’t have access to the testing, specialists and medicines that are available to those who are insured. “Cover The Uninsured” is America’s national initiative to get health coverage for all Americans as Congress’s top priority www.covertheuninsured.org .

Don’t make too many quick judgments now on who are the uninsured. There are 46 million uninsured in America of which 11 million are children. In Lancaster County, with our population of 450,000, we have a 12% uninsured rate which equals about 54,000 of which 11,000 are children. 30% of the uninsured are working! The census of the Water Street Clinic grows 15-20% each year (6,000+ visits in 2005) with an increasing portion (current about 30%) not living at WSRM. They are the former homeless who now have jobs and a place to live, but still no insurance. As we see this ever growing portion of our friends & neighbors without health insurance, we are opening the new Water Street Clinic to qualified uninsured in the community in 2007.

You probably know someone that doesn’t have health insurance (and they aren’t living at the Mission). I know I do…my daughter and her husband are without insurance. They are in their early 20’s, both working, and their employers can’t afford to offer them health care. Do I worry some over this, yes! I also pray that the Lord will keep them safe & healthy.

So who can solve this growing and seemingly insurmountable & unsolvable problem? Is it clinics like ours from the faith community that should fill the gap? Is it the government’s sole responsibility? Is it business that must provide health care for all of their employees? Is it the individual’s responsibility to acquire health coverage for himself? Let the insurance industry solve the problem? As I work daily in the systems and read about the issues and problems on both a national and local level I see that it is EVERYONE’S issue. We must work together, with Congress (for the insurance issues are heavily government regulated) to find the answers. Do not expect them to come up with a solution without your help & input. The answers are not easy & money is often the barrier in all solutions.

Jesus says the poor will always be among us which helps me not to be discouraged about the needs. The world’s issues are His to bear, but we/I am to be the voice for one person at a time. Jesus also tells us when we serve the “least of these” we are ministering to Him. I ask that you become involved, contact your congressman (both federal & state - their contacts are easily accessible on line) tell them how important this issue is to you, get involved in events that keep the issues of the uninsured in the limelight…be their voice! Come and help care for those in need at the Water Street Clinics, or others providing care to the uninsured. I challenge you to help put Water Street Clinic out of business! Don’t worry, the poor will always be among us and we will have plenty of other work to do.

- Gale Thomason, WS Clinic Administrator