Free and charitable clinics provide a range of services for free and reduced costs to those unable to afford healthcare, aiming to help uninsured and low-income individuals.
In 2024, Florida ranked 45 out of all 50 states with one of the highest uninsured rates – 10.9 percent – in the country. Texas had the highest rate at 16.7 percent and Massachusetts had the lowest with less than 3 percent, according to America’s Health Rankings.
As hospital costs rise and insurance premiums double for many Americans, the number of people who cannot pay for care has increased and free and charitable clinics may be the only available safety net. However, some people in need might not be aware that these resources exist.
Here are all the free and charitable clinics on Florida’s Treasure Coast.
What are free clinics?
Free medical clinics provide services to low-income adults who are uninsured (not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or other government program) and residents within the clinic’s county, according to the American Medical Association.
How many people can’t afford health care in the US?
About 11 percent of U.S. adults — or 29 million people — cannot afford health care. Florida is especially vulnerable, as it has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
The uninsured rate increased in 2024 for the first time since 2019, according to the KFF.
People ages 0-64 without health coverage increased from 25.3 million to 26.7 million, and the uninsured rate for the population increased from 9.5 percent to 9.8 percent.
What are the uninsured rates on Florida’s Treasure Coast?
Here are the percentages of each population that do not have health insurance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2023 and 2024 American Community Surveys:
5 Treasure Coast clinics with free or low-cost health care
Here are all the free and charitable clinics on the Treasure Coast:
Creating an exhaustive list of free clinics is a challenge because there are a variety of faith-based and volunteer-run institutions that offer similar services. Community health centers like Treasure Coast Community Health and Whole Family Health Center also provide care on a sliding fee scale based on the patient’s income.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Free clinics on Treasure Coast as Florida suffers high uninsured rates
Reporting by Ashley Ferrer and Jack Lemnus, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ashley Ferrer and Jack Lemnus, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
