About 44 million Americans do not have health insurance and those numbers are rising. It is the poor, especially the homeless, who are most adversely affected by our current system. Homeless people suffer from health-related problems at double the rate of those with stable housing. Most homeless individuals do not have any type of medical insurance and they do not have money to pay for health care. The basic conditions of being homeless, such as lack of food and sanitary conditions are conducive to bad health.
Homes provide shelter from the elements and a place to recuperate from disease.
Many live in rural and urban areas that are not close to hospitals or other health care facilities that they need. Approximately one-third of homeless persons have a mental illness. The federal government has taken action to provide health care for the homeless. The McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, signed into law in 1987, includes provisions for getting health care to the homeless population. However, inadequate funding and cuts have harmed the program's effectiveness.