About Free Clinics

Free Clinics are private, non-profit, community based organizations that provide medical, dental, pharmaceutical and/or mental health services at little or no cost to low-income, uninsured and underinsured people. They accomplish this through the use of volunteer health professionals and community volunteers, along with partnerships with other health providers.

Each Free Clinic is unique, in that its development and services are based on the particular needs and resources of the local community. Care is made possible through the donation of goods and services, volunteers, and community donations. Funding is generally raised on the local level and there is little if any governement funding or support.

Free Clinic Services

Free Clinics play a significant role in the local community safety net system, filling important gaps for those in need by creating additional capacity for those needing access to health care. The National Association of Free Clinics estimates that the country's Free Clinics serve over 3.5 million of the nations uninsured and underinsured individuals.

To accomplish this, tens of thousands of volunteer health care professionals raise over $300 million annually in private funds and give thousands of hours of volunteer time. All toll, the nation's volunteer Free Clinics are contributing over $3 billion in health care value to the system to care for the uninsured!

Formed in 2001, the National Association of Free Clinics is a non-profit professional association composed of Free Clinics and State/Regional Free Clinic Associations, working together to support Free Clinics and the people they serve. There are currently over 800 Free Clinics in 47 states.

While dozens of organizations across the country work to advocate for care for the uninsured, Free Clinics have been the primary local community response to actually providing care for those in need. The National Association of Free Clinics is the only organization specifically designed to support and protect the efforts of these local programs on a national basis.

The mission of The National Association of Free Clinics is to unite this diverse group of dedicated organizations into a powerful voice for the uninsured. To accomplish this,The National Association of Free Clinics has established these goals:

• To increase networking among member Free Clinics through electronic media, resource development and meeting opportunities.
• To monitor and provide input on national legislative and regulatory issues affecting Free Clinics' ability to provide services, and to network and assist state and regional Free Clinic Associations with similar state issues.
• To educate the general public, state and federal leaders and health care industry leaders about the Free Clinic industry and the value that Free Clinics bring to the health care system.
• To develop membership benefits that provide cost-saving opportunities to Free Clinics, and to leverage in-kind donations and gifts.
• To encourage high standards of operations and quality of care.
• To develop national fundraising and resource development opportunities with the goal of passing resources to the local level.

Reference for Free Clinic Article

National Association of Free Clinics 

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