CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Charlottesville Free Clinic announced Monday it is bracing for a significant increase in patient demand as federal changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies and Medicaid funding take effect, resulting in thousands of local residents losing or facing barriers to affordable health coverage.

Locally, the Charlottesville Free Clinic anticipates this wave of coverage loss will present immediately in its doors. Executive Director Willa Barnhardt told Cville Right Now through 2025, they were treating around 3000 patients annually, and some 380,000 Virginians stand to lose ACA subsidies.

“If those go away, then that’s a lot of people who are going to be impacted by a higher price tag for health insurance, and we expect to see a good number of people in our community look at the Free Clinic for help,” Barnhardt said.

That will create a need for more volunteers.

“We rely on a strong volunteer base,” Barnhardt said, “we have about 648 volunteers — last year at least — and these are doctors, dentists, nurses, community members that help run the clinic along with our staff.”

Barnhardt notes the biggest need will be more doctors to see more patients. But even with more volunteers, they’ll need more money as well.

“The financial side, which I don’t like talking about, but even with more volunteers giving their time we need the infrastructure to support that,” said Barnhardt. “That goes with the medical and dental supplies, diagnostics, specialty care costs, just the coordination of everything to make sure the clinic can run.”

The Charlottesville Free Clinic is calling on local leaders, health systems, and community partners to support expanded resources, including volunteer recruitment, increased funding and expanded partnerships to ensure the region’s most vulnerable can continue to receive care.