Monterey, CA Medical Clinics Operate On A Sliding Income Scale And Can Be A Great Resource When Money Is Tight

View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

The latest issue of AARP, The Magazine, had an article about how expensive medical insurance is and what a nightmare it can be if you don't have insurance and have a major medical emergency.  Although the Affordable Care Act (Health Care Reform) will change that for many, it hasn't been fully implemented yet and until it is you need to make sure that you prepare for the worst, even if you feel healthy.  The article profiled 67-year old Bettye Jenkins.  When her private insurance policy raised her rates to $300/month back in 2000, she simply couldn't afford it and dropped the policy.  She went without seeing a doctor from 2000-2007 and thankfully didn't have any major medical problems.  In 2007, she found a community health center which charged her just $60 for a check up.  They found that she had hypertension and high cholesterol and put her on a diet and exercise regimen and got her prescriptions which only cost $8.  Unfortunately, she ignored follow up calls from the medical center and later ended up in the emergency room, which didn't hesitate to bill her full price, which was $6,500.  I didn't realize until I read this article that about 60% of people who file for bankruptcy protection in the United States do so because they have run up medical bills that they can't afford.  Many are baby boomers (there are 9.3 million uninsured boomers between the ages of 50 and 64).  Don't get yourself in this situation!  According to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, public health centers equal or exceed the standard of care when compared to physicians in private practice.  They charge you on a sliding scale based on your income.  To find out more, check out the web site of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), there are 18 in Monterey county. According to Amy Simmons Farber of the NACHC, many people are unaware of this resource.  "Once they go, they are often surprised at the quality of care they get."