The program was "Marketplace", and it stated that 5% of the population consumes more than half of our nation's health care costs. The report identified these people - they are "elderly, poor and have trouble taking care of themselves". It also said that they were characterized as having multiple chronic health care conditions.
In other words, they'd look a lot like our clients. Our clients are elderly, and nearly three-quarters of them are below the federal low-income standard. So many of them have multiple disabling chronic health care conditions that we had to modify our database so its reports could list four or more per client.
Are our clients, though, really among these high spenders? According to the data underlying the radio report, the disabilities of the high spenders mean that they have difficulty managing their health. Without regular medical care and monitoring, they wind up in the emergency room and in crisis, over and over again.
This is where our client diverge from the profile. With our help, they get to their health care appointments. A look at the ride calendar for next week shows: an eye exam, a heart medication check, a blood draw and x-ray diagnosis, a pick-up from the kidney center, a visit with a psychiatrist, a pacemaker check, a ride for cancer treatment, and more - all sorts of ways that our clients' health care is being monitored and treated every day.
While I can tell you many reasons of the heart to support Faith in Action, here's a reason of the pocketbook. One of the best ways we can lower health care costs is helping our big health care spenders be smaller spenders. It's not complicated. A friendly face, a helping hand, and a ride to the local doctor's office - that's what it takes. It saves money, and it saves lives.
Faith in Action does not get funds from the federal government, the State of Washington, or King County.68% of our funding is from individuals like you.
You make it possible for us to serve elders in need, in our community. Thank you so much for your support of Faith in Action.
In other words, they'd look a lot like our clients. Our clients are elderly, and nearly three-quarters of them are below the federal low-income standard. So many of them have multiple disabling chronic health care conditions that we had to modify our database so its reports could list four or more per client.
Are our clients, though, really among these high spenders? According to the data underlying the radio report, the disabilities of the high spenders mean that they have difficulty managing their health. Without regular medical care and monitoring, they wind up in the emergency room and in crisis, over and over again.
This is where our client diverge from the profile. With our help, they get to their health care appointments. A look at the ride calendar for next week shows: an eye exam, a heart medication check, a blood draw and x-ray diagnosis, a pick-up from the kidney center, a visit with a psychiatrist, a pacemaker check, a ride for cancer treatment, and more - all sorts of ways that our clients' health care is being monitored and treated every day.
While I can tell you many reasons of the heart to support Faith in Action, here's a reason of the pocketbook. One of the best ways we can lower health care costs is helping our big health care spenders be smaller spenders. It's not complicated. A friendly face, a helping hand, and a ride to the local doctor's office - that's what it takes. It saves money, and it saves lives.
Faith in Action does not get funds from the federal government, the State of Washington, or King County.68% of our funding is from individuals like you.
You make it possible for us to serve elders in need, in our community. Thank you so much for your support of Faith in Action.
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