The health care homelessness connection

It is an honor to serve as a board member with Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) where I chair the Public Policy Committee.  

Tim Thetford serves as Director of Public Policy for MDHA.  We are very fortunate to have such an experienced voice working for us in Dallas.  

On September 23, 2012, The Dallas Morning News published Tim's Op-Ed essay on the clear connection between the lack of affordable health care and homelessness.  

Here's what Tim had to say:

Homelessness is frequently and accurately attributed to unemployment and a lack of affordable housing. But there’s another significant factor forcing people onto the streets: lack of affordable health care. Catastrophic medical costs can lead to homelessness as well as preventable illnesses that cause some to lose their jobs because of failing health.

Access to health care is essential for the treatment of mental illness, addiction and chronic medical conditions. Each year, the number of families who become vulnerable to homelessness increases for lack of access to medical care. The rapidly rising cost of health care in America, which has outpaced income growth for two decades, is gradually putting health insurance out of reach for more and more Texans.

The U.S. has wrestled with the public policy and financing challenges related to health care accessibility for more than half a century. Affordable health care is an especially crucial issue here because 6 million Texans are uninsured. For the poorest of the poor — homeless individuals — the related suffering and high costs are immense.

Read the entire essay here.