At the Clearwater Free Clinic, the “working poor” is the population we strive to serve.  This population is hugely impacted by a costly health care system and low wages. The uninsured contribute to the wealth of our community but are unable to afford basic health care services.  Often, their incomes disqualify them from receiving what few government programs remain. Patients who are newly unemployed have come to the Clearwater Free Clinic after losing their health insurance along with their job. The majority of the patients who come to the Clearwater Free Clinic have serious chronic disorders like diabetes, heart disease, or asthma, requiring constant monitoring and daily medications. Others seek assistance with acute medical problems.

Many Clinic patients are employed at jobs that do not provide access to health care.  They may be self-employed or small business owners, part-time workers or single parents. They may be the people that you see and interact with everyday…the waitress at your coffee shop, the housekeeper who helps clean your home, the clerk at your local store, the handyman who makes repairs, the teacher’s aide at your children’s school or young man who takes care of your yard…these are only a few of the faces of the uninsured and the patients who receive care at the Clearwater Free Clinic.