在沒有全民健保的美國，昂貴的保險費，往往咬去較低收入者，大半的薪資所得。沒有健康保險是司空見慣，健康除了小心外，靠老天保佑，還有愛心人士的義診！親愛的臺灣，請好好珍惜我們的健保！！！

為數三千人的長龍在體育場等候義診

加州洛城體育場的臨時看診站，在星期一的清早早已排了等候的人群，有些是星期天就來夜宿等著的。有些就滯坐在摺椅、有些蜷伏毛毯。限額掛號五千名，才能進入臨時看診站看診。

由基層醫療組織CareNow 發起的義診，包括心臟、牙醫、兒科等專科醫療成員，看診活動將由星期二持續進行至週日。

Karina Tench 是27歲在學的護理學生，過去幾年來一直有未明原因的癲癇發作。每每在加州Torrance 醫學中心的Harbor-UCLA Medical Center 的急診就醫，但是始終沒有給腦神經專科就診過。

Sergio Hidalgo一家四口，妻子和兩個青春期的女兒。一女兒牙齒有蛀洞，太太牙齦發炎、疼痛，都是準備看牙醫。36歲的Hidalgo 說，失業一年半，妻子是無證的移民，還在名額等候中。

59歲的Peter Montes，是無殼街民，屬於加州醫療系統照護下及身體障礙的個案，週日就來排隊，想看牙醫和耳專科。常被耳鳴所擾，八年未洗牙了，"不能離開，一走開就看不到診了"。他很希望，星期一時能看得到義診。

基層醫療CareNow 主席Don Manelli 表示本來人們不應該在基本醫療時，大排長龍等待的；感謝這麼多的志工願意義務前來協助，把咱們社區集合起來、幫助我們。

3,000 in line for free medical care at Sports Arena

About 3,000 people were waiting in line Monday morning at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena -- some since Sunday -- for a chance to get free medical care in a massive temporary clinic.

The would-be patients planted themselves in folding chairs and huddled under blankets in the hope of getting one of 5,000 wristbands that will be given out for admission to the clinic.

Organized by CareNow, the clinic will run Thursday through Sunday and will be staffed by cardiologists, dentists, pediatricians and other medical professionals

Among those in line was Karina Tench, a 27-year-old nursing student, who said she had been having seizures for the past year and did not know the cause. She went to the emergency room at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance each time but has yet to see a neurologist.

Sergio Hidalgo was in line with his wife and two teenage daughters. All four needed to see a dentist.

One daughter had a hole in one of her teeth, his wife had inflamed gums and all of them had pain.

"We don't have the money to pay for this," said Hidalgo, 36, who lost his job a year and a half ago. Hidalgo and his wife are undocumented immigrants, as are a number of others waiting in line.

Peter Montes, 59, arrived Sunday in hopes of seeing a dentist and an ear specialist.

"I have ringing in my ears," he said. "It's really bad."

He has not had his teeth professionally cleaned in eight years. He is homeless and on MediCal and disability.

He said Monday he would be grateful for the clinic's free care.

"You can't get it out there," he said.

CareNow president Don Manelli said people should not have to stand in line for basic healthcare, but he was pleased so many volunteers had come forward.

"It's the community coming together to help us all," he said.

出處 From:

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/17/8367964-people-wait-in-long-line-for-free-medical-care-in-los-angeles