Dear Friends,
As June begins, during Cataract Awareness Month, I will be recovering from cataract surgery and feeling deeply grateful. I have healthcare coverage, access to doctors, and the ability to address my health needs before it can become a crisis.
At ECHOS, we meet people every day who do not have that same safety net.
More than 20 million Americans age 40 and older have cataracts, including people who are still working, driving, caregiving, raising families, and doing their best to remain independent.
For someone with coverage, cataract surgery can be scheduled. There is a doctor, a treatment plan, and a path forward.
For someone without coverage, the same treatable condition can become a slow loss of independence. It can mean trouble reading forms or medication labels, unsafe driving, missed work, fear of falling, and waiting because the door to care feels closed.
- The difference is not medical possibility.
- The difference is access!
- That is why ECHOS’ work matters.
Every day, our team helps low-income and uninsured neighbors navigate the complicated path to health coverage, benefits, and care.
Last year, ECHOS helped more than 2,800 individuals apply for benefits they were eligible for, including Medicaid, CHIP, Harris Health Gold Card, SNAP, TANF, and other stabilizing benefits.
This work is practical. It is patient. It is often invisible. And it is life-changing.
- Sometimes access begins with a form.
- Sometimes it begins with a phone call.
- Sometimes it begins with someone sitting beside you and saying, “Let’s figure this out together.”
As I recover from the surgery I was able to have because I have coverage, I am thinking about the adults in our community who face serious health needs without the same access, security, or clear path to care.
A treatable condition should not become a crisis simply because someone is uninsured.
Will you make a gift today to help ECHOS open the door to healthcare and other resources for more uninsured and underinsured neighbors?
Your generosity helps families connect to the coverage, benefits, and support they need before health problems become emergencies. Thank you for standing with our neighbors and for helping make access possible.
With gratitude,
Cathy Moore
Executive Director, ECHOS
