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The Source: Free Clinics In The Obamacare Era

National Assciation of Free & Charitable Clinics

The Congressional Budget Office estimatesthat for the foreseeable future 30 million Americans will remain without insurance. So while the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act helped expand access to healthcare and insurance, many remain unaffected.

Nowhere is this more apparent than the nation's free and charitable clinics. According to a recent study by the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, the patient demand at the clinics is actually up 40% this year.

In addition to the important community service these clinics provide, the six student-run clinics run by the University of Texas Health Science Center provide a real-world experience for new doctors, encouraging empathy and for many provide a new perspective.

What is the role of the free clinic in the age of Obamacare?

Guests:

  • Nicole Lamoureux, executive director of the National Association for Free & Charitable Clinics, a nonprofit focused on the needs of 1,200 member clinics.
  • Dr. Richard Usatine, family doctor and assistant director at Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics, in addition to providing oversight and advice to UTHSC's six student-run free clinics.

*This is the second segment in the August 13 edition of The Source, which airs at 3 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM.  Audio from this show will be posted by 5:30 p.m.

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Paul Flahive can be reached at Paul@tpr.org