class care and that is if they receive any at all. Many of the uninsured get treated depending on several factors, their age, their diagnosis, and how much money you have or can get together. Some families spend their entire savings to provide care for chronically ill, and disabled relatives. ClinicsFor many of the uninsured, clinics have been a major corner stone. These government-founded clinics have helped many uninsured, but the care at these clinics is questionable. With most of the doctors on staff volunteering their much sort after time, and insufficient medication. This questions both the disbursements of government funds and the lack of proper planning. The federal government funds some 3,000 clinics, and last year Congress channeled about $1 billion in federal money to them, including a $94 million increase to accommodate the huge demand for services. The number of uninsured people seeking care from these clinics is up 45 percent over the past decade, says Earl Fox, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Still, there is no money for 12 new clinics and 46 expansions that already have been approved. By contrast, Congress gave nearly $18 billion to the National Institutes of Health for research on treatments and cures for disease - therapies that may never reach the uninsured. Hundreds of other clinics receive no federal money and depend on donations as well as state, local, and private grants. (Consumer Reports Issue 9)Suggestion for the FutureWhile the uninsured struggle day to day without any coverage, and not many options there are a few suggestions for the future. Congress has been looking into two different plans for the uninsured: tax credits and a medical savings account. The tax credits are a specific amount that would be set aside for health insurance for the uninsured. It would be in essence like a refundable voucher. Which has some skeptics regarding refundable credits as a hidden...
