Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Hundreds Line Up for Free Health Care | Health | English

"At a recent RAM free clinic in Knoxville, Tenn., more than 50 dental chairs were full."

"Most of these people have jobs and many have health insurance, but their plans don't pay for extras like dental and vision care. "

The Knoxville clinic is RAM's 590th health care mission.

Doctors, including dentists, in the U.S. cannot practice medicine outside the states where they're licensed. But several out-of-state doctors volunteered here in Knoxville. Several years ago, the Tennessee legislature passed a law, at RAM's urging, that provides a temporary medical dispensation. Doctors traveling to the state to provide charity care are welcome to do so. Brock notes it's the only law of its kind in the United States. He thinks it should be replicated throughout the country. "Unfortunately it's not, so it makes it very difficult when we go to other states, to be able to come up with enough volunteers to meet the kind of need you see here."