Uninsured Americans turn to mobile clinics

I am not heartless. I recognize that some people need help with health care--especially children who have little recourse if their parents aren't willing to or capable of providing basic needs; however, I think it would be interesting to know how many of these people own flat-screen TV's and other luxuries that they place a higher value on than their health. Noticing the prevalence of obesity with the patients, I think commitment to healthy living is a low priority to most in that group.

Perhaps the best thing America could do for the uninsured is to provide legislation which would require medical providers to charge the same price to everyone. One only has to look at a bill when one has insurance to know that medical providers discount greatly to medicare and insured. I have assumed that different insurance gets different prices. Why not require medical providers to charge the same price to everyone. The difference in price could allow uninsured to afford medical service in a better way. Some I know believe Insurance companies desire higher prices to the uninsured to force them and the government to buy insurance. I have seen the price difference on my own insured medical care. I have also seen my own child charged hundreds of dollars more for the same service because he was uninsured.

I think insinuating that these people are spending all of their money on 'luxuries' like 'flat-screen TVs' instead of health care is in fact heartless. If these people are uninsured or underinsured, I doubt that many of them have the kind of well-paying jobs or the means to afford those things. Looking at their appearance and dress, I don't see many signs of luxuries or wealth there. I'm sure they are doing the best they can with what they have. In cases where some of them do spend money on luxuries, I still wouldn't cast undue stigma on them to confuse the issue. The point is, that no American should be in a position where they cannot afford health care. Calling upon yet another societal bias here, you blame the health care problem on obesity. I would point out that obesity has a large genetic component (45-60%), so in some of these cases, they'll still be overweight. Sure, if everyone loses weight, we'll all be cured! I'm sure glad normal-sized people never get diseases! Consider the group here. If you had to spend hours waiting for health care, you probably wouldn't have much time in your day left to exercise or go shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables either. I also doubt buying an expensive gym membership would be feasible or even accessible in a rural area. These people work long hours. You think you are so observant, don't they already look exhausted to you? Besides, there are plenty of people who are wealthy and insured that aren't making that healthy commitment either! Can we just take away their health insurance too?

Create a Cabinet position for National Health Care that is funded through a national sales / import / leisure tax. Every high school would have a federally funded clinic for infants and 1-12K students. Major corporations would receive tax credits to open screening clinics for the employees, elderly and the uninsured. Co-pays to be determined by ability to pay pro-rated by a copy of a tax return copy. Medical students receive tuition reimbursements for serving publicly funded clinics and hospitals. Why not ?

I am sadden by the situation that the United States has created for our citizens. We as a nation are all to blame, sometime or another in our lifetime we have all been guilty of abusing a situation.It is time to stop pointing fingers and placing blame. We need to come to the aid of our citizens before we create a nation that cannot be repaired.I know first hand what it's like to be uninsured,it's scary. Thankfully I do have health insurance and my family is covered. Many of the people seen here don't have that opportunity, the cost of health insurance is more than most people in the area make in a month. I know, I live here. We are not uneducated or ignorant, we are hard workers who love our mountains and way of life.I know of very few people who own flat screen tv's or drive SUV's. I know alot of people who are trying to make a living for their families keeping them in the place they grew up in trying to instill values. Making sure our children get the college education they need so they don't have to work as hard as we do. We live without the luxuries of fancy electronics, homes and cars. It is just a fact of where we live and that's our choice. As far as eating fast food & smoking ourselves to death, that's not true. I don't smoke, many do, all over the United States. I don't eat fast food very much, too far to drive. What we do is buy whats on sale or grow it ourself. We don't have gyms we climb mountains and as for the ones that don't they probably wouldn't even if they had the money or lived in the city. We have no more or no less overweight smokers than anywhere else. We are like you only we chose to help our own. Look around your neighborhood I think we all could find people who are in need of healthcare. Everyone needs to do their part,government needs to stop the waste,we all need to stop the waste. We need limits, so there won't be suffering in our eldery or uninsured. In Virginia children have access to famis until they are 18. Many students start out in college with no inusrance. Small business that supply jobs can't afford to offer employees insurance. It shouldn't be so in America. If everyone would do a little (and if you are blessed with plenty do a little more) it would make a difference. Don't judge Southwest VA until you examine your own life, we all need to make a difference. And what you don't know is some of the very same people receiving care at RAM, offered to help.

The largest group of uninsured people are ILLEGAL aliens. Second are young people who think they will live forever, third are self insured-do you think Bill Gates bothers to buy health insurance? Fourth are people that could afford health insurance and choose not to.. The few that are left usually qualify for existing programs....the exceptions could be taken care of on an individual basis. What I do not want Is my tax dollars taking care of the first four groups...they can buy their own d@mn health insurance or have their own country buy it for them.

Thanks for a thoughtful and insightful article that gives a personal voice to illustrate a critical issue facing our nation. While your moving reporting reminds us of the people who slip through the ever-widening cracks in our system, health care also concerns me as an issue threatening our economy, and no candidate is addressing it adequately. While the discussion is framed around people's premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, the rising costs of paying health care benefits to employers mean more layoffs, buyouts and contractors in the very near future. With higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses to individuals too, insurance companies are taking it from both ends, but don't seem to be able to turn high profits on the other end. If any industry needed streamlining, it is them. National health care programs may actually be more efficient by comparison to a grossly mismanaged private industry sector that is gouging the rest of corporate America and all small business owners who can't afford to keep full time employees and pay the rates. Our current health care system, or lack of one, is posing a grave danger to us on many levels. Thanks again for bringing this issue out.

By: smrs The largest group of uninsured people are ILLEGAL aliens. Second are young people who think they will live forever, third are self insured-do you think Bill Gates bothers to buy health insurance? Fourth are people that could afford health insurance and choose not to.. The few that are left usually qualify for existing programs....the exceptions could be taken care of on an individual basis. What I do not want Is my tax dollars taking care of the first four groups...they can buy their own d@mn health insurance or have their own country buy it for them. ==================== Around 79% of the uninsured are citizens. That % as of 2005. With the current Republican-inspired economic crisis that percentage has gone up. http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/05/uninsured-cps/index.htm

I have volunteered at the Remote Area Medical missions in Wise, Virginia for the past nine years filling eyeglass prescriptions using a mobile laboratory on-site, recycled eyeglasses from the Lions Club, or eyeglasses manufactured later and mailed to the patient. Last year, we filled 1,060 prescriptions in two and one-half days. The people we see are not immigrants, illegal or otherwise, but hard working Americans who would prefer to be paying their own way. Many suffer from work related infirmities, especially from coal mining, and have no place other to turn. The saddest aspect is that over the nine years the number of patients and their needs have increased each year. This year patients came from as far away as South Carolina for the medical care. I recommend that those who think these people are freeloaders get out of their chairs and come to Wise next July and volunteer. Their tune will change very quickly.

As a volunteer at RAM and as a human being I would ask that all those who made comments about "flat screens", obesity, illegals, etc be reminded that a very important question you might be asked when your time comes is "Who did you help?", NOT who did you help who did not have "flat screens", were not obese, were not illegals.