Rocio Villalobos 
MCALLEN – “I didn’t know how I was gonna pay for it,” said Louis Nolan, a UTRGV rehab student.
When a health complication for UTRGV student Louis Nolan arose around July this year, he went to see a doctor.
“I was just experiencing some pain in my stomach,” said Nolan. “Turns out I had an ulcer.”
Although he had insurance, his plan did not cover his visits or the necessary procedure and his bills amounted to nearly $2,000.
“I had to use my credit card to pay for it because I don’t have that kind of money,” said Nolan. “I am a college student after all.”
Nolan has since dropped his insurance plan but says he will look for an agency with fuller coverage later this month. He works full-time and is still paying his credit card bill.
“I still owe pretty much the full amount. With interest and all the fees I’m still accumulating it’s kind of like student loans,” said Nolan. “You pay a little bit, but the interest still gets you.”
Texas’ rate for medically uninsured individuals is 1.75 times the national average, according to texmed.org.
Hope Family Health Center, a local nonprofit located in McAllen, provides medical, counseling and case management services to those in need.
“We want to help those who aren’t insured and we provide different cooking classes, diabetes prevention,” said Integrated Health Intern Vanessa Saenz. “A lot of our staff just tries to create their own classes to help patients they see on a daily basis. So it’s really just about holistic care.”
The clinic relies on volunteer doctors, who can see up to 20 patients a day. To qualify for services, applicants need to provide proof of income, proof of address and an ID.
“We try to make the clinic as homey and as nice as possible,” said Saenz. “And I think just what we try to provide helps and patients might see that as better than going to any other clinic that doesn’t provide as much and doesn’t care as much maybe.”
If you are in need of care but do not have the means to visit a doctor, Hope Family Health Center says do not hesitate to reach out to them.
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