There\u2019s a famous quote by Mr. Rogers in which he recalls his mother telling him that in times of trouble,\u00a0\u201cLook for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across the state, COVID-19 is testing all of our communities and health systems \u2013 especially those primarily serving low-income and uninsured populations.<\/p>\n
For our low-income neighbors, the \u201chelpers\u201d are the 98 free and charity clinics that are serving more than 250,000 Georgians today, with the number increasing about 15 percent each year.\u00a0Free and charitable clinics have always served the most vulnerable in society \u2013 and do so either for free or on a generous sliding scale. That means the clinic takes on, either fully or in part, the cost of the care. Because of this, clinics are reliant on one of three mechanisms to stay open: local donations and\/or in-kind services, grant funding (usually targeted to specific programming), or funds through the state\u2019s annual appropriation.<\/p>\n
Since 2016, the Georgia Legislature has appropriated money to the Georgia Charitable Care Network (GCCN) for Georgia\u2019s clinics in the state\u2019s Department of Community Health budget. Contracting with GCCN, the state has provided $2.3 million as of December 2019.\u00a0 GCCN distributes those funds directly to selected clinics through a grant program designed to build their capacity to serve people. More than 240,000 patients have been cared for through the program, at a cost to taxpayers of just $9.52 per patient. In addition to improving the health status of Georgia\u2019s poorest, this appropriation is probably one of the best returns on investment for Georgia\u2019s taxpayers.<\/p>\n
Read the rest of the editorial in Georgia Health News.<\/a><\/p>\n