West Virginia Health Right, the largest of six free and charitable clinics in the state, serves 47,078 active patients across 34 counties. As the clinic’s CEO explains, many working West Virginians cannot afford health care coverage, and others are underinsured with gaps in coverage for essentials like glasses or necessary medications. Free clinics fill these gaps, often with very limited reimbursement—at West Virginia Health Right, on average, 83% of patient visits are not reimbursed.
The clinic provides extensive services with significant return on investment. In fiscal year 2025 alone, West Virginia Health Right delivered more than $26 million in donated care from a volunteer army of doctors and dentists, providing $30 worth of care for every $1 in funding. The clinic offers a full year of medical, dental, pharmacy, vision, behavioral health, recovery services, health education and mobile services at zero out-of-pocket cost for an average of $185 per patient per year.
Access remains a critical challenge in rural West Virginia, where a doctor’s visit can mean missing a day’s wages and driving an hour or more. West Virginia Health Right addresses this through three mobile programs: Mobile Dental, Mobile Medical, and the Mobile Teaching Kitchen. Since 2017, the clinic has delivered more than $9 million in free dental care across counties including McDowell, Logan, Boone, Clay, Roane, Jackson and Harrison. The Mobile Teaching Kitchen, launched in 2025, travels to community events to help people experience food as medicine and receive practical guidance on nutrition and health.
As coverage rules and eligibility renewals change, more West Virginians will fall into gaps, going uninsured or remaining underinsured. The clinic’s leadership urges increased state support, specifically requesting a $1 million increase in state appropriation for all free and charitable clinics, with $1 million directed to mobile medical and dental services.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/angie-settle-keeping-people-healthy-and-employed-in-wv-opinion/article_fa84c767-ea13-4a22-bb0b-d91c4d7cc356.html