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A Checkup On Wheels

Spanish Translation

Kathryn Satterfield

To play on his basketball team, Tommy Shelton, from Carrollton, Texas, needs to stay in top shape. Tommy, 10, must visit the doctor every few months. He suffers from diabetes and Graves' disease. Both illnesses affect how the body reacts under stress and during exercise. "If I don't take my medication, I get all out of whack. My grades go down. I don't feel good when I run," he told TFK.

To live a healthy, active life, Tommy needs good medical care. All kids, even those who don't suffer from an ongoing illness, need the attention of health care professionals. For many families, paying for visits to the doctor is a hardship. That's why organizations are going out of their way to bring kids in for checkups.

Health Care Hits The Road

In cities across the U.S., hospitals and other care providers are converting vans and buses into fully equipped medical offices. These mobile units deliver doctors and nurses to people who need them the most. The programs have more than just wheels in common. All give free or low-cost care to kids who might otherwise have to go without regular checkups.

"We have the ability to prevent so many (illnesses)," says Dr. Dina Lieser, of Docs for Tots, a group working to improve children's health and well-being. "The difference between getting regular preventive care or going without can literally mean life or death."

The Children's Health Fund (CHF) helps support a national network of 21 programs that bring medical services to kids who need care. CHF works with hospitals or health clinics to run the programs. CHF medical vans make weekly visits to schools, homeless shelters and other neighborhood sites.

Dr. Heidi Sinclair heads CHF's Baton Rouge Children's Health Project, in Louisiana. She sees patients on school grounds in the fall and at camps in the summer. "That's the fun thing about being mobile," Dr. Sinclair says. "You can go where the need is."

Reaching Unprotected Kids

Nearly 9 million kids in the U.S. lack health insurance. Insurance helps people pay for doctor visits, prescription drugs, hospital stays and other services. Some people buy their own insurance, which can cost more than $900 a month. Others get coverage at reduced rates from their employers.

But many hardworking Americans don't have the option to buy discounted health insurance at their jobs. Seventy-five percent of uninsured kids have at least one parent who works full time but cannot afford private insurance.

More than one in five poor children is uninsured. Two government programs provide health insurance to children living in poverty--Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Medicaid gives insurance to kids whose parents earn little or no money. SCHIP is for families who earn a bit more. Tommy Shelton and his family are glad that SCHIP is available to them. Some people fall through the cracks. They don't qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP, but still cannot afford insurance.

Medical vans and clinics like those run by CHF bring health care within the reach of uninsured families. Still, Dr. Lieser says that the mobile units should be only a short-term solution. "There's got to be a more cohesive medical system," she says.

*Routine Checkup

With insurance: $15
Without insurance: $130

Strep Test (not including doctor's fees)
With insurance: $3
Without insurance: $30
Emergency Treatment for a Broken Arm

With insurance: $220
Without insurance: $2,200

Asthma (one year of treatment)

With insurance: $315
Without insurance: $3,000

*ALL COSTS ARE ESTIMATED AVERAGES FOR THOSE NOT COVERED BY ANY FEDERAL OR STATE AID.

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