On Monday, August 4, 2008 at 11:30 a.m., the Health Care Access Task Force held a protest at Carle Clinic and Christie Clinic’s new locations in southeast Urbana in order to release a report card and demand an end to the lack of access to care for local consumers. The Health Care Access Task Force graded the two major clinics on a number of access issues and released the “Access to Care Report Card” at the protest.

The protest went from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a presentation of the “Access to Care Report Card” at 11:30 a.m.

Both major physician clinics have policies that limit or deny appointments and services to uninsured patients, patients with Medicaid insurance, and patients who have medical debt, and as a result, these patients have virtually nowhere to turn for health care services. In addition, new “patient dumping” practices are coming to light, and these practices compound the access crisis.

While expansion of Carle Clinic and Christie Clinic is welcome, issues of transportation and distance to travel have yet to be addressed by the clinics.

Click here to download the “Access to Care Report Card” (PDF).

Click here to download the media advisory from this event (PDF).

Click here to watch news coverage from the event (Google Video).