Page 48 - November2026LifeInNaples

As Healthcare Costs Rise,

Where Do Families Turn?

Jamie Ulmer
President & CEO, Healthcare Network

eople don’t health centers provide primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy services and
stop getting dental care, behavioral health and other more closer to home.
Psick because services to people from all walks of life. That kind of access matters because
healthcare becomes Patients may have commercial insurance, healthcare works best when people can
more expensive. Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care use it before they are sick enough to
But sometimes, Act Marketplace coverage. For those who need an emergency room.
they do stop going qualify, care is also available on a sliding Last year, Healthcare Network cared
to the doctor. fee discount scale based on household for more than 55,000 patients, including
When money is tight, it’s easy to income. nearly half of Collier County’s children,
convince yourself that a cough can wait Community health centers were and provided more than $19 million
another week, your back pain isn’t that created around a simple idea: where in uncompensated care. Those are big
bad or you’ll schedule that annual physical you live or what you earn shouldn’t numbers, but the people behind them are
next month. The problem is that “next determine whether you can get the our neighbors: working parents trying to
month” has a way of becoming several healthcare you need. That mission feels keep their families healthy, children who
months. By the time someone finally especially important today, as families need regular checkups, seniors managing
seeks care, a health concern that might face increasing financial pressures and chronic conditions and people who
have been addressed early can be much communities like ours continue to grow. simply need somewhere to turn when
more serious. And affordability is only part of the they are sick.
We’re seeing more families face those equation. A healthy community depends on
difficult decisions here in Southwest And cost isn’t the only thing that more than hospitals and emergency
Florida. can keep someone from getting care. rooms. It depends on people being able
Rising insurance premiums, higher Distance, transportation and convenience to get routine, preventive and ongoing
deductibles and the increasing cost matter too. For a parent juggling work care when they need it.
of everyday necessities are stretching and school schedules, a senior who no Because when healthcare becomes too
household budgets. Even people with longer drives or a family without reliable expensive, too far away or too difficult
health insurance can struggle with the transportation, getting to an appointment to navigate, people wait. And waiting
cost of getting the care they need. No can become one more reason to put off often comes with a much higher cost,
family should have to weigh groceries, care. to families and to the community as a
rent or other necessities against a visit to Here in Collier County, we’ve seen whole.
the doctor, yet for some of our neighbors, what can happen when healthcare moves
those choices are very real. closer to the people who need it. Jamie Ulmer is President and CEO
That’s one reason community health Earlier this year, Healthcare Network of Healthcare Network, a nonprofit
centers play such an important role. opened the Van Domelen Community healthcare organization that has served
If you’re not familiar with community Health Center in Orangetree, an area Collier County for nearly 50 years. He is
health centers, you’re not alone. One where rapid population growth had passionate about improving access to care
common misconception is that they are left many families traveling significant and strengthening community health so
only for people without insurance or that distances for basic healthcare. Residents all residents have the opportunity to live
they are free clinics. In reality, community can now access primary care, dental care, healthy, productive lives.

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