Vic Hill spent 63 years without health care. Two years ago, he signed up for health insurance through Puente. It was just in the nick of time. A San Mateo County doctor gave him a physical, ran some tests, and found stage II colon cancer. “It’s a disturbing cancer from the standpoint of not being able to feel it at all,” muses Hill, who lives in La Honda on a fixed income. Thanks to San Mateo County’s Medicaid Coverage Expansion program (MCE), Hill had successful colon surgery to remove the cancer – for free. His doctor’s visits and medications were free, too. “I’m feeling fortunate, because it looks as though it was removed and we got it in time. Thank you, Puente,” says Hill, who has a general aversion to doctors and hadn’t been to a hospital since he was 9 years old. Staff members at Puente’s La Honda office made a point of telling Hill about Puente’s medical safety net services when he visited the La Honda Farmer’s Market one day in 2010. Puente acts as an agent for numerous county-backed health care options for the uninsured. Between 2008 and 2012, Puente signed up or renewed a whopping 965 children and adults for programs like Healthy Families and Healthy Kids. The number of local enrollees has grown every year, … Continue reading Need health insurance? The story of Vic Hill