Health Care Check-Up: Treating The Uninsured In South El Paso

By ABC-7 Reporter Daniel Marin

EL PASO, Texas – Nubia Dominguez was pretty relieved when her six-year-old daughter Angelica aced her checkup at the Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe Clinic in south El Paso.

Domginuez has another son with diabetes but no health insurance. And she says she’s not really intereseted in it.

“I don’t really pay much here [at La Fe],” she told ABC-7.

Dominguez, you see, is stuck in the middle. After getting a job as a dental assistant, she no longer qualifies for Medicaid. But insurance premiums don’t really fit her family budget, either.

La Fe is not a free clinic, but it does offer treatment at discount and can work with low-income families to develop payment plans. In 2008, La Fe served about 22,000 patients in El Paso, roughly 60 to 70 percent without any type of insurance.

The problem, says pediatrician Dr. Amador Loya, is a loss of jobs and trouble landing coverage. It’s an issue for both patients and physicians.

“It’s a challenge when you need special studies that, if [the patients] aren’t covered, it’s difficult to pay for,” he said.

Still, Dr. Loya says it’s a quandary of which lawmakers – no matter what side of the aisle – simply can’t wash their hands.