Free Clinic of Central Virginia Receives $15,000 Grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia
(LYNCHBURG, VA) – Recently, the Virginia Association of Free Clinics (VAFC) issued an announcement of a $750,000 grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia and its charitable foundation to help continue to meet the needs of Virginia’s uninsured. The Free Clinic of Central Virginia (FCCV) will receive $15,000 of this grant to assist with its general operations.According to Robert “Bob” Barlow, this donation is really worth closer to $150,000 as each $1 donated to the FCCV in 2007 generated $10 worth of patient services. This is accomplished due to the 450 medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and lay volunteers, who generously give their time at the Free Clinic. It is also aided by the large percentage of medications that are secured through medical assistance programs and donations. As a part of the grant, the FCCV will also track referrals of patients’ children under age 18 to for access to health care through the Commonwealth’s S-CHIP program, FAMIS, supplied by Johnson Community Health Center in our community. The FCCV provides medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services to low-income Central Virginians without Medicare, Medicaid, or any other type of health insurance.
Current estimates are that more than one million Virginians, 13 percent of the population, are without health insurance. More than 70 percent of these citizens are employed full time and 13 percent worked part time; however, they cannot afford health insurance. More than 600,000 fall below the 200 percent FPL. With the slowing of the economy, demand for services has already increased. In the last half of 2007, more than 75 percent of the 50 member clinics experienced a growth in time between qualification for service and actual appointments for treatment. Already over 200 new unduplicated patients have been added to the FCCV roles in 2008!
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia has been a partner of Virginia’s free clinics since 1993 and has contributed more than $10 million in that time. "Without Virginia's free clinics, thousands of Virginians would have no place to turn when they need basic health care,” said Burke King, president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “Many would likely be forced to use hospital emergency rooms, or go without treatment. Virginia's free clinics are critical to our health care system, and to the patients they serve."
Founded in 1993, the VAFC is the oldest Free Clinic association in the U.S. Based in Glen Allen, its mission is to support, strengthen, and advocate for Free Clinics in delivering quality health care services to Virginia’s low-income, uninsured and underinsured residents. Virginia has 50 Free Clinics with 64 clinic sites serving more than 57,000 uninsured Virginians. More information about the VAFC and Virginia’s Free Clinics is available at www.vafreeclinics.org.