Heath Care for the Homeless

Health care is a nationwide problem in this country, and even more so for the homeless. Many people become homeless due to poor health, lack on income to obtain health care plans, or life-long illnesses that force them into extreme situations-like homelessness. Each community faces similar health issues such as tuberculosis, AIDS and domestic violence, but these are amplified within the homeless community and contribute to the growing homelessness crisis. According to a Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities given by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the homeless population consists of:

• 23% are considered mentally ill
• 46% are substance abusers
• 8% have AIDS or HIV-related illness
• 21% are employed
• 22% are veterans

Like 45 million other Americans, homeless people typically do not have health insurance; 73% of Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) clients nationally have no health care resources. The federal Medicaid program has provided coverage for many homeless women and children and some disabled men, but Medicaid policy changes are causing loss of health coverage for many people without homes. Homeless people also have all the same health problems as people with homes, but at rates three to six times greater than housed people. Without a home, there is no place to recuperate from an illness or to treat an injury, and health problems tend to get far worse before they get better.

My question to all of you-should we give health care to the homeless? Why or why not? (I don't mean huge plans that allow them to be treated for everything, we can't even do that for middle class citizens, but something to help them out and possibly help them get back on the right track.)

(There is so much more information that I could not put here due to its length so please visit http://www.amsa.org/programs/gpit/homeless.cfm to get more information)