Insuring the uninsured: A student-run initiative to improve access to care in an urban community.
BACKGROUND
There are 44 million uninsured Americans. Lack of insurance creates a major barrier for the poor and near poor to get adequate medical attention. A portion of these are eligible for insurance and either do not know they are eligible or have difficulty navigating the application process.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the success of University at Buffalo medical students at a free clinic in helping patients enroll in government-sponsored insurance plans.


METHODS
Observational study


METHODS
The Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic--a student-run free clinic operating in an urban minority Buffalo, NY neighborhood.


METHODS
Five-hundred-seventy-nine inner-city, low-socioeconomic-status patients age <65.


METHODS
All patients are screened, and those eligible are encouraged and assisted in completing insurance applications.


METHODS
Primary outcome is the percentage of patients who completed the application process.


RESULTS
Five-hundred-seventy-nine patients were seen from October 2003 through October 2004; 319 (55%) were uninsured. Fifty-nine (26%) of those uninsured were found to be eligible for insurance. Fifty-seven applications were initiated, and 23 (40%) were completed and accepted.


CONCLUSIONS
There are a significant number of people using the free clinic who are eligible for insurance. The number-one reason adults were ineligible was household income exceeding the state limit. Success of this project provides support for the use of medical student volunteers to assist in insurance application completion in community settings.
Niescierenko
Michelle L
ML
University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, NY 14222, USA. michelleln@gmail.com
Cadzow
Renee B
RB
Fox
Chester H
CH
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008483:Medical Assistance / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012923:Social Class; D013337:Students, Medical; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*