The U.S. health care system may not be ready for full implementation of the Affordable Care Act by October 1, and many potential new users may not know about potential coverage.
That's is why a leader from the NAACP visited Buffalo Thursday.
Shavon Arline-Bradley is director of health programs for the NAACP. She met with area health officials and workers.
Arline-Bradley also delivered a at the WNED studio's Thursday evening.
Arline-Bradley says the core problem is illness. She says there are real concerns neither the health system nor people are ready.
"People don't even know this is available to them. They are hearing about this on the news but not necessarily knowing where to go, who to go to. The concern we also have is around the demand...there is going to be a high demand. We need more medical professionals. We need more nurses, more physician's assistant, more nurse practioners, more medical doctors that really help There will be an influx. absolutely. But, the question is: Are our states, our counties and our cities ready?", said Arline-Bradley.
Arline-Bradley noted there are serious concerns in the health care community about public worry over people who look different from them providing care. There's also concern about the long-standing disparity between those who have health coverage and those who don't.
