Lincoln CHC Sees Increase in Uninsured

Lincoln Community Health Center, located in Durham, NC has seen a significant increase in the number of uninsured patients at their health center:

While President Obama continues his campaign for national healthcare reform, Triangle providers are struggling with a growing population of uninsured residents in need of care. At Durham's Lincoln Community Health Center, financial counselor Diana Rodriguez has seen a dramatic increase over the past few months.

"I've been working here 11 years," she said. "In the last three to four months, there are so many people that have come in and tell us they have just lost their job. A lot of them had high-paying jobs and lost their insurance."

Lincoln is the safety net for most Durham residents without insurance. In 2008, 78 percent of its 36,091 patients were uninsured. Sergio Munoz is one of them. Unable to find work as a painter, he said he can't afford insurance, so he and his family depend on Lincoln for their care.

"In reality, I don't know what I would do because I don't have the resources to get the health insurance for me and my kids," he said.