Reaching
Out to Make A Difference
Each day people
go without medical care
because they don't have health insurance and
they can't afford a doctor's visit, diagnostic testing
or prescribed medication. Many people may think of the uninsured
as very poor, unemployed or both. However, of the
uninsured population nationwide, eight out of ten people
are from
working
families that are not eligible for government assisted
health care plans. These low
income, working families are being forced to choose between medical
care and other
basic necessities,
such as food, clothing and rent. Many
of uninsured workers are employed in small businesses
that don't offer health insurance, or they are
low wage workers that cannot afford to pay the costs
associated with an employer sponsored plan. Some
people also carry one or more part-time jobs where
health care benefits are not available.
Through
the combined efforts of volunteer physicians
and other health-care
professionals,
schools, hospitals, and churches, Shepherd's Hope Health
Centers are able to provide quality, non-emergency medical
care to those in need.