Many patients who can no longer afford health care are flocking to local acupuncture clinics for free Chinese medicine treatments, reports New America Media. This year, the number of walk-ins at the ACTCM Auricular Clinic, funded by American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has nearly doubled. During one four-hour session in September, a record 71 patients walked into the clinic, says a superviser. Since the economic downturn, clientele has shifted from low-income families, students and homeless people to middle-class, white and unemployed patients. According to a clinic survey, nearly half of the patients who visit the clinic are uninsured and nearly all of the patients earned a monthly income of less than $2,400. A regular check-up with a Chinese medicine practitioner can cost between $40 and $60, and each packet of Chinese medicine is approximately $5.
