Why it matters: A healthy community thrives and grows. Anchorage residents have identified access to affordable health care and health care costs as the top household challenge facing them today. With the number of Anchorage residents without health insurance continuing to climb - more than 29,000 adults are without health insurance - a new approach was needed. United Way will always support programs and services that
OUR VISION:
Community Impact Goals:
Too many Anchorage families have to choose between rent, food, or medical care. They often delay seeking medical attention until it's a crisis and then get help in the emergency room, the most expensive care. The family is then beset by financial as well as medical problems. The leading cause of personal bankruptcies is a catastrophic medical problem. And, hospitals are heavily burdened by mandatory emergency services, passing increased costs on to all consumes.
This problem is increasing because now 29,000 Anchorage residents lack medical insurance. Seventy percent of them are employed, yet 52% live in poverty.
To address this problem, United Way and many partners are launching Alaska's first volunteer physicians' network providing primary and specialized care. 266 physicians are committed to helping their neighbors and the first patients will be seen this fall, improving health for low-income, uninsured Anchorage residents.