Remote Area Medical Clinics Provide Free Care to Insured Americans

60 Minutes report highlights growing gap between health insurance coverage and access to basic medical services

Apr. 6, 2026 at 2:06pm

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A 60 Minutes segment revisited Remote Area Medical (RAM), a charity organization that provides free medical, dental, and vision care to underserved communities. The report featured stories of Americans with insurance who still sleep in parking lots to receive care at RAM clinics, as high deductibles and limited benefits leave many unable to afford the care they need.

Why it matters

The 60 Minutes report shines a light on the growing disconnect between having health insurance and being able to actually access and afford basic healthcare services in the United States. As deductibles rise and coverage gaps widen, more Americans are turning to charitable organizations like RAM to receive the care their insurance plans do not adequately provide.

The details

The 60 Minutes segment focused on RAM's annual clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, where people lined up days in advance to receive free medical, dental, and vision care. The report featured the stories of Sandra Tallent, who drove 200 miles from Alabama and slept in her car for two nights to receive a dental appointment, and Dave Burge, who had lost his teeth twice due to a car accident and a construction accident and was waiting for dentures at the RAM clinic.

  • The 60 Minutes segment on Remote Area Medical was filmed at the organization's annual clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee in the dead of winter.
  • The original 60 Minutes report on RAM clinics aired 18 years ago in 2008.

The players

Remote Area Medical (RAM)

A charity organization that provides free medical, dental, and vision care to underserved communities across the United States.

Chris Hall

The CEO of Remote Area Medical, who first volunteered with the organization at age 12.

Stan Brock

The founder of Remote Area Medical, who died in 2018 after spending decades providing free healthcare to those in need.

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What they’re saying

“They (RAM) hand you your life back. I could be a normal human again.”

— Dave Burge

What’s next

Federal legislation has been introduced repeatedly to allow volunteer doctors and dentists to cross state lines and provide free care at RAM clinics, but the legislation has faced opposition from industry lobbyists. Passing this legislation could help expand access to the free services provided by RAM.

The takeaway

The continued existence and growth of Remote Area Medical clinics, which provide free basic healthcare to Americans with and without insurance, highlights the deep flaws in the U.S. healthcare system. Despite the heroic efforts of RAM's volunteers, the fact that such clinics are necessary in the world's wealthiest nation is a damning indictment of a system that has failed to ensure all Americans can access the care they need.