A free and charitable clinic in Charleston, West Virginia, will offer a full day of medical, dental and vision care to the public this month at no cost and with no income restrictions.

This is the third year for West Virginia Health Right’s #WeCareWV Day. This year’s event will be from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17  at West Virginia Health Right, 1520 Washington St. E. in Charleston. 

Prior to starting the event in 2024, Health Right partnered with Tennessee-based Remote Area Medical for an annual free walk-in clinic. 

CEO Angie Settle said Health Right has the capacity to treat 500 patients on #WeCareWV Day. She expects a bigger demand for services this year, as the costs of health care, food, gas and other things have risen. 

“We’ve seen a big increase in our patient numbers as prices go up,” Settle said. “People have to make decisions between paying their utility bills, putting gas in their car to get to work, and see if they can buy glasses or pay for dentists because a lot of people, they don’t have that insurance.”

Thousands of West Virginians dropped their health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act this year after premiums spiked when subsidies ended. State and local government workers on the Public Employees Insurance Agency also saw their health care costs increase in July. 

Gas prices average around $4.27 per gallon in West Virginia, up from about $3 a year ago, according to AAA. 

Health Right patients are generally required to show proof of their annual income to be sure they meet federal poverty level guidelines. The clinic typically treats uninsured people, Medicaid and Medicare recipients, Settle said.

On #WeCareWV Day, the clinic may see patients who may have health insurance with high deductibles and co-pays, she said. 

“We want to be sure we try to remove any barriers, and those people can get that preventive care that they need,” Settle said. “So that’s one day we don’t ask any of the qualifying questions. Anybody that’s willing to come and wait, we’re going to see them.”

Beginning in January, some Medicaid recipients must meet new work requirements in order to keep getting health care. Settle said Health Right, which has 48,000 patients now, expects to see an even bigger need for health care once the requirements take effect. 

“It’s just a challenge for us, budgetary wise, because we’re still trying to buy the medicines and provide the care to as many people,” Settle said. “It’s just trying to do more for less.”

The one-day clinic usually has around 300 volunteers, ranging from healthcare professionals and support staff to lay people to help with parking and patient intake, Settle said. 

She said the clinic is a great opportunity for medical students to gain experience treating people who are in need, which is important for any health care professional.

“I think it’s so important to expose people going into the medical field or dental field early about people in need, so that when they’re out and they’re in practice, even if they don’t end up doing something like we do here, like a free and charitable clinic… they always keep in mind that there are people out there that if you hand them the prescription or whatever, you need to make sure that they actually can get it filled,” Settle said.

“It’s not just enough to say goodbye in the exam room,” she said. “You really need to be thinking through if they can access that care or not.”

Settle said the clinic could use more volunteers, especially from the dental field, for the event. Anyone interested in volunteering may contact Settle at 304-414-5931, or sign up on the clinic’s website, wvhealthright.org. 

For more information, see Health Right’s website at wvhealthright.org.