Sustainably connect low income communities to low-cost or free healthcare

Need

1. 13.4% of those living in the U.S. are uninsured

Although the Affordable Care Act has allowed millions of people to get health insurance coverage, millions more still lack it – including those living in states that have chosen not to accept federal dollars to expand eligibility for Medicaid.

In all, 13.4 percent of those living in the U.S. are uninsured, according to the latest poll by the Gallup organization. Federal projections show that as many as 30 million people living in the U.S. could still be uninsured in the year 2023.

2. Free and low-cost clinics provide health care to those with no other place to turn

A fragile medical safety net stretches across America, made up of thousands of clinics offering free and low-cost health care to those with no other place to turn. Run by a wide range of nonprofit groups, religious organizations, communities and educational institutions, these clinics serve a vital role.

3. Finding a clinic and understanding what it offers is challenging

Finding information on free clinics is difficult. Not all clinics have the resources to be listed online and there is no central directory listing these clinics. The services that these clinics offer, and the hours change frequently as well.

4. 70% of low-income people access the Internet for health information

The idea of building a website aimed at people without insurance, or experiencing financial hardship, may seem strange, but studies have shown that 70 percent of low-income people access the Internet for health information, and that inexpensive smartphones have leveled the playing field for Internet access among people of different backgrounds.

Enter Findcare

Findcare, a nonprofit website that aims to make it easy to find free or sliding-scale clinics near you, learn who they assist, what services they offer, understand where and when they’re open, and how to contact them.

Fast, easy access to free care

The site’s database includes information on over 500 clinics in Michigan and approximately 2,000 in the Midwest. Access to these clinics is available through the desktop, tablet and mobile versions of findcare.org.

Crowdsourced and sustainable

Findcare.org is based on a system for adding and updating clinic information that relies on a form of crowdsourcing, though with added measures to ensure the validity of information. Individuals who submit valid information can become “trusted users” over time. This makes findcare.org a dynamic and essentially self-updating site.

Double sided design

We started Findcare.org with the goal of connecting individuals without medical insurance to healthcare. For it to be successful, Findcare required the use of novel data collection techniques, the construction of a nationwide database, and a design that worked for both patients and healthcare professionals alike.

It was an amazing project that inspired many. Consider it a job well done!! I am so glad you all found an excellent solution. - Cyril Grum

Remarkable work, perhaps especially including the transition to Needymeds. Not an end, but a beginning. - Brent Williams

Findcare acquired by Needymeds

Findcare started off as a side project. We continued to be passionate about our mission, but as our user base grew we struggled to give Findcare the love that it deserved. So when Needymeds.org, an organization which wholeheartedly believed in our vision, approached us for an acquisition, we knew we had to do it. Needymeds has a team of permanent staff members and robust annual funding that is essential to move Findcare forward. Needymeds.org, can take the product we have built and incorporate it into their offerings in a way that will be exponentially more beneficial than our site would have been on its own.