Events
People’s Community Clinic Hosts Cover America Tour Stop
Speakers Highlight Need for Health Care Reform
"The high cost of health care is causing a real strain on American families," said Meg Bohne, Campaign Organizer for Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports Health. "Many Americans fear losing their job-related health coverage or worry that they may face financial ruin if they get hit with a serious illness."
The Cover America Tour has been on the road since late May and is making its way across the country this summer to listen to Americans talk about their experiences with our nation's health care system. As the tour crew travels by RV from coast to coast, they're posting videos of people talking about the challenges they've experienced with health coverage and blogging about what they're hearing.
"Austinites are not immune from the major economic issues that face our nation. All too often entire families go without health insurance and gamble that they will stay well," said Regina Rogoff, Chief Executive Officer of People's Community Clinic. "At PCC, we strive to provide comprehensive, affordable care to as many families as we can with our limited resources. By providing a medical home to 11,000 patients, we can help avert future medical and financial crises."
Nearly 5.5 million Texans have no health coverage. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured than any other state in the country. Twenty four percent of Texans are uninsured compared to 16 percent, on average, for other states.
One patient who has been helped by the People's Community Clinic is Linda Cannon. In 2004, Linda lost her health insurance coverage when she was laid off from her job with a microchip processing company. As a single mother, she could not afford the COBRA payments to continue her health coverage for herself and two daughters. Losing her health insurance was a serious issue for Linda since she has hypothyroidism, a condition caused by insufficient production of the thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism can cause fatigue, depression, joint pain and weight gain if not properly treated with medication. Severe cases of hypothyroidism can be life threatening.
"Without access to proper medical care my health would deteriorate and I would be at high risk for heart disease," said Cannon. "Fortunately, I've been able to see a doctor regularly and get the care I need as a patient at the People's Community Clinic." You can see Ms. Cannon's video testimonial at the Cover America tour's website.