At the Rahma Health Clinic on Syracuse’s South Side, the sick and ailing come by late every Wednesday and early every Saturday for help.
“This is a ZIP code that lacks basic health care services,” Shafquat Fazilli, Rahma’s health administrator, said. “There’s such a gap in health insurance and there’s a high percentage of uninsured people in this particular area.”
Rahma, Arabic for “mercy,” celebrated its opening on Feb. 16. It joined Amaus Health Services and the Poverello Health Center as the third free clinic in Syracuse. All three treat the area’s uninsured.
More than 30 million Americans will remain uninsured in 2014 when the nation’s new health care law – called the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare” – goes into effect, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
In Syracuse, 11 percent – or 15,966 – of residents are without health insurance, according to a report by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. That gives Syracuse the second highest rate of uninsured residents in upstate New York behind Albany’s 13 percent. In Central New York, more than 73,000 in Central New York lack health insurance, says the U.S. Census.
For people without insurance who can’t be seen by a local physician, a trip to the emergency room is a last resort when easily treatable symptoms build up. And one visit to the emergency room can cost up to $10,000 when you factor in the expense of an ambulance, said Ajaz Shawl, Rahma’s executive director.
“Syracuse ERs see so many patients from this area, and it’s usually unnecessary,” he said. By scheduling an appointment at Rahma, an uninsured patient can see one of the clinic’s volunteer doctors or nurse practitioners free of charge.
The clinic located at 3100 South Salina St. is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.
The uninsured, according to the federal Department of Health and Human Services, include:
- Young adults – The age group most likely to be uninsured are young adults age 19 to 34. They account for 38 percent of the country’s uninsured. This comes despite young adults’ ability stay on their parents’ health insurance up to age 26 under the new health care law.
- Minorities — They lack insurance in disproportionate numbers. The majority – 64 percent – of the country’s population identifies as white and accounts for 45 percent of the nation’s uninsured. But only 11 percent of whites are uninsured compared to 16.8 percent of Asians, 19.5 percent of blacks and 30.1 percent of Hispanics. Hispanics also account for 33 percent of the nation’s uninsured, second only to whites.
- Middle and low-income families – Families earning $25,000 to $49,000 a year in household income make up 31 percent of the nation’s uninsured. That’s just slightly higher than the 30 percent of low-income families who earn less than $25,000.
(Dee Lockett is a graduate student in magazine, newspaper and online journalism.)
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