LOOK LIKE ME. >> HOW SHE TURNED HER PASSION FOR FARMING INTO A FULL-TIME PROFESSION. SOLEDAD: I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WELCOME TO MATTER OF FACT. MANY PEOPLE DELAY GETTING HEALTH CARE BECAUSE THE COST IS A GROWING PROBLEM FOR FAMILIES IN THE U.S. A RECENT GALLUP POLL FOUND ONE FOURTH OF AMERICANS SAY THEY OR A FAMILY MEMBER DELAYED TREATMENT FOR A SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T AFFORD IT. THAT’S WHERE VOLUNTEER HEALTH CLINICS, LIKE "REMOTE AREA MEDICAL" OR "RAM" ARE STEPPING UP TO FILL THE GAP. RAM, AND ITS VOLUNTEER DOCTORS, HAVE PROVIDED MORE THAN 785- THOUSAND PATIENTS WITH FREE MEDICAL CARE SINCE 1985. AND THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED JUST IN THE LAST SIX YEARS. AT A RECENT TWO-DAY CLINIC IN SUITLAND, MARYLAND, NEAR WASHINGTON, D.C., PEOPLE LINED UP OUTSIDE IN THE COLD WAITING FOR CARE AND ONCE INSIDE, THEY WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP. >> AT LEAST SOMEBODY CARES. WITH THE BIG GOVERNMENT, THEY DON’T CARE. ESPECIALLY IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT. YOU GO TO A HOSPITAL, WHICH I’VE HAD MANY TIMES, AND I GET THESE OUTRAGEOUS BILLS. BUT I HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. I DON’T HAVE A CHOICE. SOLEDAD: JEFF EASTMAN IS THE CEO OF REMOTE AREA MEDICAL. THANKS FOR JOINING ME. WALK ME THROUGH HOW IT WORKS. HOW DO PEOPLE FIND OUT THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE COMING TO THEIR AREA? HOW EARLY DO THEY START LINING UP? JEFF: IT STARTS OUT WHAT WE CALL THE COMMUNITY HOST MODEL, WHERE SOMEONE IN THAT COMMUNITY STANDS UP AND SAYS WE WANT TO BRING RAM THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY. FROM THERE, IT’S A PROCESS AT HEADQUARTERS. WE COME OUT, TAKE A LOOK AT THE AREA AND WE HELP RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS IN THAT AREA. SOLEDAD: WHEN DO YOU OPEN THE DOORS? LIKE IN SUITLAND, WHERE WE WERE, PEOPLE WERE LINED UP THROUGH THE PARKING LOT. IT WAS QUITE COLD. I KNOW YOU OPEN THE DOORS PRETTY QUICKLY. JEFF: THEY STARTED LINING UP THE DAY BEFORE. IT’S NOT UNCOMMON WHEN WE SET UP ON THURSDAY, FOR PEOPLE TO START LINING UP THE DAY BEFORE. THEY GET THE NUMBERS PASSED OUT TO THEM, USUALLY AROUND 3:00 IN THE MORNING. I’VE GOT GREAT VOLUNTEERS. SOLEDAD: SO ONCE YOU GET A NUMBER, THAT IS YOUR ORDER. JEFF: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. WE ASKED NO I.D. SOLEDAD: I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU. YOU JUST TELL THE DOCTOR HOW YOU’RE FEELING IT. JEFF: WE ASK ONE QUESTION. WHERE DOES IT HURT? SOLEDAD: YOU STARTED THE ORGANIZATION IN 1985. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE THAT YOU’RE SEEING IN THE KINDS OF AILMENTS PEOPLE HAVE FROM, LET’S SAY, 1985 TO TODAY? JEFF: LET’S GO BACK ABOUT SIX YEARS. PEOPLE COME TO THEIR IMMEDIATE PAIN, WHICH IS DENTAL AND VISION. THERE WAS A MAJORITY OF THE KNEE WHEN PEOPLE FIRST CAME TO IT. HOWEVER, IN THIS LAST YEAR, WE’RE SEEING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE SURELY WANT THEIR IMMEDIATE MISERIES OR PAIN TAKEN CARE OF, WHICH IS DENTAL VISION. WE’VE ALSO INCREASED ON THE MEDICAL SIDE. WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE COMING, WOMEN FOR MAMMOGRAMS, MENTAL HEALTH, WOUND CARE, JUST GENERAL MEDICINE. SOLEDAD: SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? WHAT’S YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THAT SHIFT? IS IT THAT THE HEALTH CARE NET IS FAILING PEOPLE, THAT THEY HAVE TO HELP THAT A CLINIC SHOWS UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO GIVE THEM BASIC MEDICAL CARE? JEFF: WELL, WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS WHAT WE’RE DOING IS NOT WORKING. YOU KNOW, YOU AND I BOTH HAVE INSURANCE. I DOUBT VERY MUCH THAT WE HAVE HEALTH CARE. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT A MINIMUM, A PERSON EARNING A MINIMUM WAGE OF APPROXIMATELY $15,000 HERE IN THE U.S., IF THEY ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE INSURANCE, THEY HAVE THE $2500 DEDUCTIBLE, THAT 80-20 CO-PAY. SO FOR THEM, IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO IT. JEFF: IN SUITLAND, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HOW DIVERSE IT WAS. I MEAN, IT WAS IN EVERY WAY, RIGHT? IT WAS OLD PEOPLE AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND BABIES AND BLACK PEOPLE AND WHITE PEOPLE. I MEAN, IT WAS EVERYBODY. JEFF: EXACTLY RIGHT. IT DOESN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHERE WE GO, WHETHER WE’RE DOWN ON THE TEXAS BORDER, FLORIDA, ONE OF THE RICHEST COUNTIES WE HAVE IN THE COUNTRY, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. IT’S PEOPLE ALL ACROSS. IT’S WORKING PEOPLE. SOLEDAD: HOW ARE YOU A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHO’S STRUGGLING TO GET BASIC HEALTH CARE? JEFF: YEAH, WHETHER YOU’RE A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE, YOU DON’T HAVE HEALTH CARE, OR THROUGH YOUR EMPLOYER. IT’S JUST NOT WORKING. SOLEDAD: I’M ALWAYS DIVIDED. IS THIS AMAZING, BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING, BUT IS IT ALSO A BAND-AID ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE A POLICY SOLUTION? RIGHT. LIKE YOU’RE SOLVING A PROBLEM AND IT’S AMAZING THAT PEOPLE VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME. I MEAN, AN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE CARE. BUT THERE’S PART OF ME THAT’S LIKE, WE COULD JUST FIX HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA. JEFF: IT’S A TOUGH QUESTION. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT A HIGH LEVEL -- IT IS A HARD DECISION FOR OUR POLICYMAKERS TO FIGURE OUT. TILL THEN, WE’RE GONNA HAVE GREAT NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS. WE’VE HAD 135,000 VOLUNTEERS OVER THE YEAR, HAVE TREATED OVER 800,000 PATIENTS. UNTIL THAT SOLUTION IS OUT THERE, WE’LL BE THERE TO FILL THAT GAP AND MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE. SOLEDAD: ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC? I MEAN, IS THE GOAL THAT ONE DAY PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE, WE DON’T NEED YOU HERE? I’M ALL COVERED. WE HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. JEFF: YOU KNOW, THEY’D BE A GREAT GOAL TO RETIRE FROM LEADING THIS ORGANIZATION. PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED. WE’RE GOING BACK TO OUR ROOTS. WE’RE GOING BACK TO THOSE JUNGLES IN SOUTH AMERICA. WE’RE GOING BACK TO LATIN AMERICA. WE’RE GONNA GO OUT AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE REST OF THE WORLD BECAUSE THE US HAS GOT THIS COVERED. IT HAS BEEN SO NICE TO HAVE YOU. JEFF: THANK YOU SO MUCH. JUST ONE MORE THING. IF YOU IF YOU’D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER WITH US, IT IS REAL SIMPLE. GO TO RAMUSA.ORG. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A DOCTOR. WHAT’S AMAZING IS THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT’S DONATED, WE DELIVER THREE THE CA