Dr. Sarah Hershman shares her personal cellphone with uninsured patients at Full Circle Health in Nampa, Idaho, a federally qualified health center serving as a last-hope safety net. The clinic, one of 1,400 such networks nationwide, is seeing rising caseloads amid falling revenues due to Medicaid cuts and soaring Obamacare costs. Staff provide unpaid care, negotiate with specialists, and forage for cheaper medicines to help underinsured patients.
Sophia Perez, 28, whose husband John suffered a potential eye injury while welding, avoided the ER due to cost and relied on the clinic. With Idaho aggressively slashing Medicaid rolls and federal subsidies for Your Health Idaho expiring, even the cheapest Obamacare plans are unaffordable for many. Starting January, new nationwide Medicaid work requirements will mandate 80 hours of monthly work or volunteer documentation, with Idaho’s rules among the strictest.
Community health workers like Debbie Lehnert prepare stress busters while scrambling to help patients navigate the looming eligibility changes.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing