Letter: In these COVID times, free clinics need help to help those in need
It’s concerning that Florida’s COVID-19 case count is rising with expert warnings of a fall resurgence and high unemployment throughout 2021. The worst isn’t over. But Gov. Ron DeSantis refuses mandatory masks.
Being a founding and active member of UHI CommunityCare Clinic (www.uhicare.org) which provides free healthcare to people who fall 200 percent below federal poverty guidelines, I see the surge of those suffering from lack of healthcare.
Due to the policies of the current administration both at state and federal levels, many uninsured sick patients refuse to visit these free clinics as they fear ICE and DOH’s detainment. This only exacerbates the burden in emergency rooms at local hospitals.
Local, state and federal authorities should consider providing special funding to these free charitable clinics to expand services to our non-insured communities who have lost their healthcare coverage due to COVID-19 related job losses.
We should also consider increasing testing centers and instead of centralizing at two or three large venues, a thought should be given to and using our fire rescue centers as well as local libraries which will help expedite the testing. This will also help people who have no transportation to reach the limited testing sites.
Before COVID-19 there were almost 800,000 people in Florida’s Medicaid Gap. The “Gap” is the horrible space between not qualifying for Medicaid because you earn too much and not qualifying for help through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace because you earn too little. In Florida, there is no help for adults with no children.
Now with record unemployment and people losing their health insurance, the Gap is going to grow exponentially. Florida is not prepared. We must help people when they are suffering. Medicaid expansion can protect Floridians as the economy slows down and will bring additional federal dollars into the state at a time it is desperately needed. Now is the time for Florida’s lawmakers to put their differences aside and put Floridians first.
Shabbir Motorwala,
UHI CommunityCare Clinic
Miami
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 4:23 PM.
