La Clinica receives 20 calls from new patients each day

 Approximately 66,000 Jackson County residents were either uninsured or had limited coverage. A national study found that during the last recession, nine million people lost their employer-sponsored insurance, and 80 percent of the uninsured are now from working families.[1]

 The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality closely tracks the changes in employer-sponsored health insurance and has found the following:[2] 

·          In 1998, thirty-five percent of employees reported that their employers paid all costs associated with employer-sponsored health insurance—this rate dropped to twenty-eight percent in 2003. 

·          Between 1996 and 2002, the average private-sector employee’s premium contribution for single coverage rose sixty-five percent, from $342 to $565.

·          Groups less likely to have employer-sponsored insurance include the self-employed, workers in small businesses, minorities (especially Hispanic males), young adults (19-24), part-time workers, near-elderly working women with health problems, low-wage workers, those in non-unionized positions, and retirees.

Oregon is not immune, and to complicate matters, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) and Medicare have instituted changes that limit enrollment and/or complicate access to services. OHP revisions have made it harder for adults to qualify, and 17 percent of family doctors are not accepting new Medicare patients. [3]  This trend is disturbing because 30 percent of Jackson County residents are 55 or older, and the percentage is increasing. The need for affordable care becomes more acute every day.

 If La Clinica’s annual average growth rate of 26 percent continues, our capacity to serve new patients will soon be exceeded. Growth has been dramatic since La Clinica was founded in 1988, and with the uninsured population increasing, we have every reason to expect continued growth. In 1988 we served 1,105 patients, primarily Spanish-speaking migrant and seasonal farm workers. In 2006 we saw 13,309 patients, 62 percent of whom were not Hispanic. With current facilities, we have the capacity to serve an additional 1,200 new patients, for a total capacity of 14,500.

In response, La Clinica has expanded hours and improved clinic and provider efficiencies. But the reality is stark: without additional facilities we will soon be unable to meet the demand.

Why is providing affordable and accessible health care important to our community? Providing accessible, affordable, and quality health care to the neediest patients protects ERs from improper use. Financially strapped uninsured patients often delay care until symptoms propel them to the nearest ER, where care is more costly but federal and state laws dictate they must be treated regardless of ability to pay. This unreimbursed cost is reflected in higher insurance premiums and overall health care costs. 

In 2006, La Clinica provided 28,000 patient visits to uninsured and low-income patients. Had these individuals sought ER care, the cost would have exceeded $14 million. 

With medical, dental, and social services, chronic disease case management, and outreach to homeless and other underserved communities, our new Central Point Clinic will help to fill the significant need in Jackson County for affordable and quality health care.

[1]Paying a Premium: The Increased Cost of Care for the Uninsured, Families USA, June 2005

[2] Employer Sponsored Health Insurance: Trends in Cost and Access, Vol, 17, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, http://www.ahrq.gov/research/empspria/empspria.pdf