stories

VCT Partners Help Our Neighbors
Struggling With the High Cost of Health Care

The greatest successes of the Westminster Free Clinic are in helping people in East Ventura County who are uninsured, and often with critical needs take care for their health when finances are a problem for so many local residents.

When 21-year-old “Jeremy” came in to the clinic with his family, he was in severe pain from what clinic doctors diagnosed as appendicitis – Jeremy’s appendix had burst and he would need it removed.

They had first taken him to a local health care agency, where Jeremy’s family was billed $42,000 in emergency room fees. The visit, and the surgery his son would need, was cost prohibitive for Jeremy’s father, who only earns minimum wage. With the hospital’s fee was included a statement stating that the family would be sent to collections if they didn’t pay it.

Distressed, and with no insurance to pay for Jeremy’s surgery, his family met with a WFC case manager, who contacted the hospital and arranged the family a Medi-Cal rate for the procedure, as well as a manageable payment plan. The family is now slowly paying off a $5,000 fee, over one-eighth of the original cost, normally charged to uninsured patients by hospitals.

WFC’s case manager was able to advocate for Jeremy, his health, and his family’s welfare by helping them to navigate the health care system, manage their expenses, and support their well-being.

Jeremy’s story is just one of thousands of similar stories that happen every day in our community.  Together we can make sure that everyone not only gets vital health services when they need it, but they are able to manage the cost of their health care so they don’t lose everything when they are faced with a health crisis.