Twelve Years

I almost missed it! Today is the clinic's 12th anniversary.

Twelve years ago today, we were waiting, pacing, preparing to open the doors for the first time. We weren't sure anyone knew about us; we weren't sure anyone would come. But, they did.

We were prepared for about ten people to come in; that first night, we saw nineteen. And we have never looked back. The numbers grew from that night on. Sometimes they grew way too much - like the night we saw ninety-nine. It was overwhelming, frightening, gut-wrenching - to see that much need in our community.

Last night, we saw twenty-one people. The Affordable Care Act has made a huge difference in our community. Working people now have access to healthcare. There are still those who fall through the cracks in our healthcare system; there are those who don't know where to go to get help - and it is always my hope that they will come here - that we can help them with healthcare and with enrollment. I want us to be that safe place where you can ask questions, get help and leave with the information needed.

I can't begin to thank all of the people who have been involved in the clinic over the years - as board members, Friends of the Free Clinic, volunteers, and staff. I am so blessed to have each and everyone of you in my life. Our community is richer because of the work you have done.

A Tribute to my Dad

All of you here knew my dad – he was your sibling, your husband, your father, your father-in-law, your grandfather, your uncle, your acquaintance, your neighbor, your friend. Each of you has memories of him.

The memories I am about to share are how I knew and experienced my dad.

My dad was very proud to be a Marine; he served in Korea. The Marine Corp very much shaped the man my father was. Honor, courage, commitment are the core values of the Marine Corp – and describe my dad to a t.  

My earliest memories are of sitting on his lap, with my ear to his chest, listening to him read poetry.

He was the quintessential father of the 50’s & 60’s. He loved us by providing for us. He was a workaholic. He graduated from high school – and by the end of his career was a top executive in an international corporation.

He always led by example. I can’t tell you how many times I heard him say, “You learn more from listening than you do from talking.” That said my dad was one of the greatest talkers of all times!!

My dad was a fighter for social justice – though he never referred to his work that way. He moved our family to Bainbridge, GA, in 1965. His official job was plant manager, but the work he did integrated the work place – paying whites and blacks who worked side by side - the same wage; over the years, as the south slowly moved forward – he was instrumental in making the transition into fully integrated schools successful and safe.

We didn’t know he was doing that – it was just part of his life’s work.

The one story we did all know was the day he integrated the movie theater. Each year there was a holiday party for the employees and their families – and the company rented the movie theater for the event. Well, in south Georgia, in the sixties, the white people sat in the main part of the theater, and the blacks came in through a back entrance and sat in the balcony. My dad would have no part of that – and the front doors and main floor of the theater were opened to everyone. It stayed that way from that day forward.

My dad was color-blind – literally – but, also figuratively. He never judged a person based on their color.

He was always involved in the communities he lived in: the Red Cross, the Library board, PTA, Rotary, the TIFA board, the church. He always made a difference. He was one of the founders of St. Peter’s Free Clinic, based here in this church.

While my dad worked long hours, I remember Sundays as being family days. My dad joined the Episcopal Church in 1966. Our Sundays included going to church. Then we would come home and wait hours while he cooked, talked and talked…..to Fr. Atwood, or later to Fr. Charles.

There were also Sundays spent on the river. In a boat, but usually sitting, as the Sunday routine was to put the boat in the water, go a ways, then the motor would stop. So, we sat, while he worked on the motor. We never got completely stranded, that I remember, but sometimes it felt as if we would. If we weren’t boating – we still would often go to the river, where my dad would teach us to “do nothing” - to sit and enjoy, and to observe nature; to be still. It is one of the best gifts he gave me.

We rarely took vacations, other than our annual trip to Michigan to see relatives. But, the beach was always a big part of our lives – whether it was an impromptu week-end at a mom-and-pop hotel at Mexico Beach, or a house filled with extended family and friends. When he had something to “sort out”- off we would go to the beach. We had a “Red Box” filled with all the things we would need to grill breakfast on the beach. We would walk the beach, while he started cooking.

So many memories are around food. My dad loved to cook. And, he loved to cook for a crowd. There were Easter morning brunches at St. John’s; fish fries; shrimp boils; pancakes suppers; quail bakes; fondue parties; Brunswick stew; enormous pots of vegetable soup; and his famous spaghetti sauce.

There are many memories of sitting in the kitchen of whatever house my parents were currently living in, while my dad cooked – and talked. He would start telling stories – one would lead to the next and to the next and so on. He would continue cooking, telling stories, adding a little of this and a little of that – to both the stories and the food.

My dad loved his dachshunds. From 1973 on, he always had a dachshund in his life. Most of them we all loved, but not all of them!

One of the things I will always remember about my dad is how whenever he was asked how he was doing – not matter the circumstances – he always replied “Great!”

My dad was positive, stubborn, loving and the most amazing person I have ever known. It is impossible to describe him this briefly, but it was important to me to share some of this wonderful man with all of you.

We were all so fortunate to have him in our lives. The memories – they are all good ones.

Thank you – for being here, for your love and support.

 http://www.eaglefuneralhomes.com/Obituary/3621/Duane_Marsh

 

 

Healthcare Insurance Terms

I don’t know about you, but I find some of the terminology used in the insurance world pretty confusing. Imagine how difficult it is for those with low literacy.

Some of the common terms that are used in healthcare insurance are:

1.       Premium: The amount you pay to the insurance company to keep your policy in effect. You may pay this amount monthly, quarterly or annually.

2.       Deductible: The out-of-pocket cost you pay before your insurance company begins to pay.

3.       Co-pay: Your portion of a bill after the deductible has been met. It is a fixed rate, such as a $20 per office visit or $5 per prescription.

4.       Coinsurance: Your cost of a bill after the deductible has been met expressed in a percentage of the bill rather than a fixed rate, such as 20%.

5.       Maximum out-of-pocket spending: For plans sold on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, the maximum is $6350 for an individual and $12,700 for a family. When these limits have been met, the insurance company pays 100% of all bills for providers in network. There may still be co-pays for care from providers outside the plans approved network.

6.       Provider Network: A network includes all the providers who have an agreement with the health insurance company to accept patients with their plans. Higher co-pays may be charged for out of network providers, or your insurance company may refuse to pay the bill.

7.       Covered Services: There are ten essential health benefits required under the ACA (see blog from August 28). Insurance companies may offer other benefits as well.

8.       Excluded Services: A list of services that are NOT included by an insurance plan, such as cosmetic surgery.

9.       Annual Limits on Services: There may be a limit on the number of visits or a dollar amount. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to put lifetime limits on insurance coverage.