Gov. Ron DeSantis used his line-item veto power to cut $567 million out of the state budget this year, including $100,000 that would have gone to The Volusia Free Clinic, a nonprofit that provides free health care to uninsured people.
Why he did it is unknown, for now, but what is known is the impact the cut will have on the clinic. Less money, fewer patients, according to Carol Kilian, a founding member of the nonprofit Volusia Volunteers in Medicine, which does business as the clinic.
“We probably won’t be able to see nearly as many patients as we were planning to,” she told the News-Journal.
The Volusia Free Clinic recently moved to a new Daytona Beach office, and officials were planning to bring in more patients, but that seems unlikely now.
The funding would have helped the clinic fund more part-time staff support and other expenses, such as imaging lab fees and medical supplies.
Who is helped by the clinic?
In Volusia County, 61,353 people ages 0 to 64 didn’t have health insurance in 2023, according to a Florida Department of Health dashboard that uses U.S. Census Bureau estimates. That was the 11th highest number for all 67 counties in the state at the time.
The Volusia Free Clinic helps provide free health care to uninsured single adults who earn less than $45,000 per year and uninsured couples who earn less than $61,000 a year, according to the clinic’s website.
The clinic cares for patients in Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach by appointment only with the help of volunteer physicians and other medical professionals, and other volunteer support. The clinic also relies on donations.
Kilian said she had not heard why the governor vetoed the spending, and his communications office didn’t respond to an email from the News-Journal seeking information.
Clinic set to receive donation from Volusia County Women Who Care
One bright spot for the Volusia Free Clinic is an incoming donation. Volusia County Women Who Care Founding President Teresa Smith said the group plans to donate close to $35,000 to the clinic. Members of Volusia County Women Who Care donate $100 a quarter to support a variety of nonprofits; those donations provided part of the clinic’s grant funding.
Kilian, who is a member of Volusia County Women Who Care, nominated the Volusia Free Clinic for the award. Members nominate an organization to receive the main grant each quarter.
Smith said funding cuts to nonprofits will create more pressure on other nonprofits to provide services. But she’s also seeing people step up to give back to the community. She recently had several people call in a day about joining Volusia County Women Who Care, she said.
“People do want to make a difference, and they do want to help, and the community is going to be called on to step up … These organizations are going to be hurting,” Smith said.
― Political Editor Mark Harper contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia Free Clinic looks for help after Gov. DeSantis uses veto power to cut its funding
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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