Affordability can play a major role in the accessibility of healthcare services in a community. High cost can be a daunting barrier for many individuals seeking care. However, mobile clinics can be a great solution to this issue, making healthcare cheaper for providers and patients alike. Researchers at Tulane University found that mobile health clinics are a significantly more affordable alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar clinics. On average, for every $1 spent on mobile health, $12 are saved.  Additionally, the Tulane researchers explained that the average savings are one-fifth of the cost of care when using a mobile health clinic. They noted that there are an average of 600 fewer emergency room visits in a year per mobile clinic, and the cost-effective prevention services that mobile clinics can provide will “reduce the amount of care an individual needs over their lifetime”.

The effects can be significant when choosing a mobile unit over a traditional unit. As a whole, mobile clinics “have contributed to more than 3,200 life years saved and more than $235 million returned on investment”, Harvard Medical School researcher William Zhuo-Ming Li found. These statistics go to show the difference a mobile clinic can really make. Purchasing and using a mobile clinic has shown to be an effective and worthwhile investment that saves money in the long run, limiting expenses yet still providing extremely valuable care.  

Healthcare access is a major issue across the globe, with issues like poverty and low income exacerbating the problem. According to the World Bank and World Health Organization (WHO), half of the world cannot access essential health services, causing 100 million people to go into poverty.

In the U.S. alone, specifically in rural areas, the inequity and disparity are evident. Almost one quarter of individuals in the U.S. live in rural areas, and over 20% of those rural individuals live below the U.S. poverty line, according to Cambridge University researchers. Across the world, healthcare inaccessibility can sometimes go unnoticed. The World Bank and WHO found that “inequalities in health services are seen not just between, but also within countries: national averages can mask low levels of health service coverage in disadvantaged population groups”. High health expenses are putting these sometimes unnoticed citizens into extreme levels of poverty. Whatever country or community a mobile healthcare facility may be used by, the difference in price and return on investment is clear, and often, the difference in overall cost is exponential. Furthermore, Mobile Healthcare Facilities, LLC frequently beats the prices of our competitors, often significantly. 

Since affordability plays such a massive role in providing care to so many members of the population, it should be taken into consideration when deciding to construct a mobile facility for healthcare services. These mobile units can be used to help decrease healthcare costs and mitigate financial issues surrounding a community’s healthcare.   

Are you considering purchasing a mobile clinic or other mobile healthcare facility and want to learn more or determine the price? Contact a MHCFAC sales representative today at (678)-232-4216 or sales@mhcfac.com.