Often homeless people lose their medicare card, and they're transient; they leave home without it or it gets stolen on the streets. So they aren't able to present a valid card to the hospital or the after hours clinic. They get turned away or they are looked down upon and not served. Eventually they will have coverage. But in those moments, those times when they are on the streets, they often don't.
On May 12th, 2009. See this statement in context.