ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households are a growing population in the United States. These households earn above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but not enough to afford basic household necessities such as housing, child care, food, health care, and transportation.

ALICE households face many challenges, including:

• Health care costs. Health care costs are a major expense for ALICE households. According to a recent study by the United Way, the average annual cost of health insurance for a family of four is $28,000. This is a significant financial burden for many ALICE households.
• Uninsured and underinsured households. Many ALICE households are uninsured or underinsured. The uninsured rate for ALICE households is 20%, compared to 8% for households above the FPL. This means that many ALICE households have to pay for health care out of pocket, which can be a major financial hardship.
• Lack of access to quality health care. ALICE households often have difficulty accessing quality health care. This is due to a number of factors, including:
• Lack of affordable health care providers.
• Long wait times for appointments.
• Lack of transportation to and from health care appointments.

The challenges that ALICE households face with health care are significant. These challenges can have a negative impact on the health of ALICE households, and can also lead to financial hardship.

There are a number of things that can be done to address the challenges that ALICE households face with health care. These include:



• Expanding access to health insurance. One of the most important things that can be done to address the health care challenges of ALICE households is to expand access to health insurance. This can be done through a number of means, such as the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, and private insurance subsidies. The Maryland Health Connection can assist you in finding affordable insurance.
• Improving access to quality health care. Another important step is to improve access to quality health care for ALICE households. This can be done by increasing the number of affordable health care providers, reducing wait times for appointments, and providing transportation assistance to and from health care appointments. While Seton Center cannot directly provide rides to appointments, we may be able to assist in securing transportation.
• Providing financial assistance. Finally, financial assistance can be provided to ALICE households to help them afford health care. This can be done through a number of means, such as tax credits, subsidies, and grants. Seton Center may be able to assist eligible individuals with their medical bills or prescription costs.

Call us or complete a request for assistance if you are one of the hundreds of individuals or families in the Northern Frederick service area having difficulty accessing healthcare.