More than 33,477 patients
have been served at Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine.
There are 48,998 individuals in Polk County who do not have health insurance*; that’s nearly 7% of our total population.
Nearly half of these individuals are adults between the ages of 18 and 64. They are parents, artists, servers, and healthcare workers. They are students, self-employed entrepreneurs, lawn care technicians, and more!
LVIM exists to fill the gap in healthcare coverage for those who are working and uninsured. Our patients do not qualify for government assistance, but cannot afford the price tag of high-cost health insurance premiums.
Whether the company they work for doesn’t offer insurance or their family can’t afford what insurance is offered, families are left with nothing and no backup plan for when things go wrong. Without assistance, families rely on the emergency room as their healthcare provider, and the bills rack up, often resulting in personal bankruptcy. Or, worse, these individuals are caught with few resources and often feel they have no choice but to let chronic illnesses go untreated, often resulting in worse outcomes than if treatment had been available.
That’s where Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine steps in.
*Data provided by Polk County Health and Human Services Indigent Health Care Department
LVIM provides FREE, primary medical, dental, and mental health care to those who are working and uninsured in Polk County, FL.
With the help of more than 5,785 volunteers and 570 volunteer doctors, dentists, and ARNPs, since 2001 LVIM has done the following…