Kinston CHC Offers Affordable Health Care

Kinston Community Health Center is one of many facilities in Eastern North Carolina that offers care to the uninsured and uninsured:

"We offer a sliding fee scale to patients who don't have insurance or have a high deductable of more than $2,500," KCHC accounts receivable supervisor Holly Rouse said.

Eligibility is based on family size and income. Patients must provide their 2008 income tax forms in order to qualify.

"We know that people are being laid off. If that's the case we allow them to get an unemployment letter instead of using their 2008 tax income forms," Rouse said. "We are trying to help people out because we know the economy is tough right now."

KCHS patient service representative Teresa Jones said the health center isn't just for the uninsured.

"We take care of the uninsured and the insured," she said. "The center is not an alternative to health care; people can come here and get the entire package."

The center is staffed with board-certified providers and has an insured patient base that represents 26 percent of total patients.

"I love the fact that we can help people whether they have insurance or not," Jones said.