Urgently Needed Database Now Available for People Who Cannot Afford Health Care at NeedyMeds.com

(Vocus/PRWEB) September 10, 2008

Gloucester, MA (Vocus) September 10, 2008 -- A national database of free clinics is now available on NeedyMeds.com , a web-based resource for programs that assist with the costs of medicine. The database includes over 2,100 free or low-cost clinics and is the most extensive list available. With the rising cost of heath care, these clinics are a life-line for many Americans.

According to a report released by the Urban Institute, at least 22,000 adults in this country died in 2006 because they did not have health insurance. “ As bad as this statistic is, it does not include all the people who will die or have medical problems in the future because they do not have their medicine today,” said Rich Sagall, MD, President of NeedyMeds.

“We are adding new clinics everyday and this database is important to the work of NeedyMeds because low-cost medicine programs can’t help who people who cannot afford to see a physician,” continued Dr. Sagall.

The NeedyMeds free clinic database is the only one of its kind currently available and the need for this information is growing and critical. Minnesota, for example, has 36 free clinics in the database. A new report from Families USA says that more than three people die each week in Minnesota due to lack of health insurance. Like many of the other programs found on NeedyMeds, the free clinics are for uninsured and underinsured people with low to modest incomes.

The listed clinics vary in size and services. While some are open to anyone who is not insured, others, such as Bridge Over Troubled Waters in Boston, MA, which provides medical and dental services to homeless runaway youth, are more narrow in focus. Many of the clinics are free but some have a small fee or charge according to sliding scale based on ability to pay. Contact information and program details can be found on NeedyMeds on the Free Clinics page.

Anyone who has information on a free clinic not in the database can send the information via a link on the Free Clinics page.

NeedyMeds is a non-profit dedicated to providing information and resources to those requiring assistance for medication and medical care costs. All the information is free, easy to access, and updated regularly, saving advocates and those in need valuable time in finding appropriate assistance.

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