The Coastside’s uninsured need your help

More than 67,000 adults, ages 18 to 64, in San Mateo County have no medical insurance. Approximately 3,000 children in the County do not have insurance. The waiting lists for treatment are long for both of these groups and can stretch out to 4-5 months even if they are eligible for low-cost insurance options.

One year ago almost to the day, the Coastside Family Medical Center closed. There was in influx of patients to the RotaCare Clinic - Coastside in Half Moon Bay, and to the Emergency Department of Seton Coastside. Volumes have gone down in the Emergency Department but they remain high at RotaCare.

The RotaCare patients are like you and me. They have lost jobs, can’t afford COBRA payments, or never had insurance to begin with from their employer. They may wait until they are really sick before they come in for treatment. They also may feel guilty because they are homeowners and don’t think they qualify for RotaCare. These people are our neighbors.

March 14-20 is national "Week of the Uninsured," a campaign to help those in need while bringing awareness to the plight of our fellow Americans without insurance. Locally, Seton Medical Center and Seton Coastside are part of the Daughters of Charity Health System. Our mission is to help the sick poor. Hence, our work in helping the underserved in a number of ways is a priority.

Seton and Seton Coastside help sponsor RotaCare. There are two RotaCare Clinics in the area. The RotaCare Clinic at Seton Medical Center in Daly City is open Monday nights from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The other RotaCare Clinic - Coastside is in Half Moon Bay. It is open Wednesday night for 5:00 to 7 :30 pm.

Please take a few minutes to learn about the “Week of the Uninsured” campaign. Go to http://www.covertheuninsured.org. To learn more about RotaCare go to http://www.rotacarebayarea.org, and, finally, to learn more about our local hospitals go to http://www.setonmedicalcenter.org.

Turn your caring into action by contacting your elected officials to let them know how you feel about helping our neighbors get health insurance. Help us save lives.

Cheryl Sinclair
Manager of Community Outreach, Seton Coastside
Moss Beach, CA