Hundreds Turn Out For Free Medical Care

In the Capitol City this weekend, the state’s largest free and charitable clinic attracted hundreds of people seeking health care.  

Doors were scheduled to open for West Virginia Health Right’s annual We Care Day beginning on Saturday at 8 a.m.. But by early Friday evening, folks were already lining up to be sure they got the services they need.  

First in line was a woman who came prepared for a long night, with a lawn chair and blanket.  

“I’m here for the free eye exam and glasses,” Robin Hall said. 

Hall said she has Medicaid, but Medicaid in West Virginia doesn’t cover eye exams or glasses for patients over 21. Out of pocket, she said the cost would be $400 or more. 

“And I can’t afford that,” she added. 

Hall wasn’t alone. Everyone we spoke to in that late night line had come for vision treatment.  

By the time Health Right West Virginia CEO Angie Settle arrived early Saturday morning, the line of people in need of health care snaked from the front door of her clinic on Charleston’s East End all the way to the other side of the parking lot. 

“The biggest need was vision and then followed closely by dental,” Settle said. “We had somebody there with some kind of chronic lung issue, some dermatologic issues.  We had somebody with high blood pressure. 

There were 21 mammograms performed, 56 flu vaccines, 57 prescriptions filled, 21 tests for HIV and HEPC, and 225 meals provided through the clinic’s Mobile Teaching Kitchen.  

The vast majority of people who came, said Settle, were the working people – those who make too much to get Medicaid, but not enough to afford insurance on their own. In many cases, she said, people delay treatment for as long as possible – which often makes the health problem they started with worse. 

“You’re gonna have people with uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and eventually whether they want to or not that’s gonna come crashing down and lead them to an ER, and ICU and then it has to be dealt with as uncompensated care,” she said. “You can’t kick those cans down the road.” 

For the annual We Care Day there are no questions asked about income, insurance or even identification. But for those still in need, Health Right West Virginia treats patients up to 250% of the federal poverty level who have Medicaid, Medicare or no insurance.