November/December 2009 Issue

The Public Option

Photos: Radhika Chalasani

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The Public Option

Remote Area Medical was founded in 1985 to treat isolated villagers in the developing world, but the nonprofit has also seen a desperate need for its services in America. In July, RAM provided free care to 2,715 people during a weekend at Virginia’s Wise County Fairgrounds (pictured), where many slept in their cars to nab a spot in line. In August, the volunteers set up for eight days in the Forum near Los Angeles, where they did 8,775 medical checkups, cleaned 1,889 people’s teeth (extracting 2,274 rotten ones), conducted 2,266 eye exams, and filled 1,984 eyeglass prescriptions.

The Public Option

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And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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