Hope for the Uninsured

Photo courtesy of New Hope Medical Center in Duluth: www.newhopecare.com

New Hope Medical Center in Duluth is offering hope to those who cannot afford health insurance, and the Korean American population in Gwinnett County is taking notice.

Since its unveiling two months ago, more than 700 uninsured families in Gwinnett County, or 2,500 people, have signed up for New Hope's medical membership plan, according to SK Hong, public relations coordinator for New Hope. Most of the members are Korean Americans, the target market for the first phase of implementation, Hong said.

The plan, which costs $60 per month for a family of four, allows members to receive medical treatment at New Hope Medical Center and partner medical offices at the same prices charged Medicaid and Medicare patients. That is a typical savings of 70 percent, said Dr. Peter K. Lee, New Hope chairperson. Some services, such as dental cleanings, cancer screenings, and basic examinations are free of charge once a year, he said.

Dr. Peter K. Lee, New Hope Medical Center Chairperson

"Right now we are testing the ground, forming the infrastructure," Lee said, adding that New Hope has been investigating supplementary hospitalization plans that would help patients with catastrophic illnesses. New Hope is able to offer services at substantially reduced rates by eliminating the need for insurance and billing clerks as well as other administrative costs related to insurance processing, Lee said.

The New Hope Medical Center houses 14 specialty clinics in its three-story Duluth medical facility, including internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, family practice, dentistry, opthalmology, urology, imaging, and ear/nose/throat. The center also has an integrated medicine practice that includes traditional Asian healing modalities such as acupuncture and moxibustion.

Plan members can also receive reduced rates for some hospital services through a partnership with Emory St. John's Hospital in Gwinnett County and two hospitals in Seoul, Korea.

Lack of access to health care is the number one issue facing Korean Americans in the Atlanta area, according to Helen Kim, director of advocacy and education for the Center for Pan Asian Community Services. "Three out of five Korean Americans are not insured because most are small business owners," she said.

High medical care costs prevent many patients from receiving important follow-up care, Lee said, which often leads to even costlier complications. He said he hopes the lower costs for preventative care will encourage better health through continuity of treatment.

"What happens is when you have private pay patients, they will come in for new patient visits but will not show up for follow-up visits because the cost is just too much," Lee said. "Then, what happens is they end up in the emergency room, being hospitalized because of uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, and that is going to cost a huge amount."