Health Care in Los Angeles County Moves to a New Phase – Charity

A Rich Nation (The United States) Starts to Act Like a Poor Nation

The cost of health care and the lack of access to affordable health care is not news.  Politicians and the public have been concerned for decades, and the result was the complicated, ambitious and soon to be partly or totally overturned and repealed health care plan of the Obama administration. 

Remember reading about all those great free clinics that dedicated health care professionals use to bring health care to people in impoverished countries?  Here is the situation in Los Angeles County (yes that’s the county with that big city).

Free clinic puts emphasis on prevention

 

Health professionals meeting with patients at the CareNow event at L.A.'s Sports Arena aim to promote diet, exercise, smoking cessation and screenings.

Why does a wealthy county need a free clinic?  Well there is this.

The clinic, which is staffed by volunteer doctors, dentists, optometrists, nurses and other medical professionals, attempts to fill a gap in care for people who either lack insurance or have insurance that doesn't cover dental or vision care. About 2.2 million county residents are uninsured.

And the number of people served at the clinic

The event, organized by the L.A.-based nonprofit CareNow, will run through Sunday and expects to treat 5,000 patients for high blood pressure, tooth decay and diabetes. President Don Manelli said his goal was to meet the immediate needs of the patients but also to have an "enduring impact" on their health to keep them from returning next year. Much of that, he said, is done through education.

Leaving just 2,195,000 uninsured not treated at the free clinic.  Here is one of the lucky ones

Michael Montes, 52, left Thursday morning with an appointment for later that same day. In an exam, a dermatologist had found skin cancer on Montes' back and told him he could come to the doctor's Los Angeles office to have it removed.

Montes, an unemployed construction worker from San Bernardino, said he hadn't been to a doctor in decades and decided at the last minute to go to the medical area after getting his teeth cleaned.

The Republican plan for health care after they repeal Mr. Obama’s plan; tax credits for people like Mr. Montes so he can purchase health insurance with his unemployment compensation check.  See, health insurers are just lined up to provide affordable insurance for people with a history of cancer.  Really, they are, just check it out with your local insurer.  Right.

  Oh wait, they want to take away  unemployment compensation.  Sorry about that Mr. Montes, check back with us later if your survive your cancer.