The United States is often labeled as a “First World Country,” yet an estimated 8% of the population, roughly 40 million Americans, do not have access to health insurance. Not only that, but medical treatment costs have risen significantly in the United States in the past [insert number of years], and continue to grow steadily and remain higher than in peer countries. In a constant battle with taxes, bills, and debt, citizens are now having to neglect medical care to make ends meet and save money.
Most who are uninsured are people of color,low-income, or adults under the age of 65. Medicaid, a joint government and state program to provide healthcare to those who cannot afford it, is a safety net for families with roughly 1 in 5 citizens enrolled in Medicaid. Unfortunately, many states have not adopted expanded Medicaid, and many Americans don’t qualify, leaving a coverage gap.
For those without access to healthcare, RAM: Remote Area Medical steps in to bridge that gap.
RAM was created in 1985 by Stan Brock, a British Philanthropist and presenter who sustained a serious injury during a trip to Guyana, and the nearest medical clinic was 26 days away. Upon realizing how many parts of the world don’t have access to healthcare, he was inspired to create RAM to serve those in underserved communities.
“Through 2024, thanks to RAM’s corps of nearly 230,000-plus volunteers, RAM has treated more than 977,000 individuals providing more than $215 million in free care.” According to their website, RAM: Remote Area Medical.
Headquartered in Tennessee, RAM operates a mobile medical organization with pop-ups that happen all over the country and occasionally internationally when necessary.
CHS Sophomore Kimiya Collier argues that healthcare should be accessible to everyone.
“I don’t think people should have to stress about being able to afford healthcare,” Collier said, “because everyone needs it at the end of the day.”
Whether healthcare is a human right is still heavily debated, but beyond financial barriers, many Americans face healthcare hurdles that are deep-rooted in socio-economic issues, systemic racism, and imbalanced infrastructure that make access harder to reach.
According to the website KFF, Key Data on Health and Health Care by Race and Ethnicity,
“Overall, Hispanic, Black, and AIAN people fare worse compared to White people across most examined measures of health coverage, access to, and use of care.”
According to McGraw-Hill, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 restricted legal immigrants from accessing Medicaid for only five years, disproportionately impacting Hispanic and Asian communities.
Policies like the 1996 welfare reform create barriers to healthcare access and strain vulnerable groups, including single parents and the elderly. RAM organization is important to these types of minorities because it fills those gaps.
In times of natural disasters, pandemics, and societal disarray, the need for organizations like RAM is greater than ever. By eliminating the costs and increasing mobility, it can open up new opportunities for those in need to obtain healthcare.
