ALTOONA, Pa. -- Theresa Keefer knows all too well what it's like to be uninsured.

"I had just been laid off and my husband's grandmother moved in with us. I had three elderly people living with us and I was taking care of everybody," said Keefer.

During that time, Keefer found herself battling symptoms of multiple sclerosis, which is not only a devastating disease, but costly to diagnose.

"I had to pay over $1,800 for the M.R.I. and I'm still paying on that. That's $20 a month on that," said Keefer.

Fortunately, Keefer was cleared of M.S. However, Dr. Zane Gates, the director of the free clinic at Altoona Regional, said he sees more than 6,000 patients like Keefer in Blair County and the numbers keep on climbing.

"Eighty to 90 percent of these people are working two jobs. They aren't even unemployed. They work at the local pump stop or Wal-Mart store," said Gates.

And with the new projections that employers will be forced to pass on even high health care costs to employees in Pennsylvania next year, there could be a lot more Blair County residents in the same boat.

"That's the scariest part, to have something happen and not have the money to pay for it," said Keefer.

There is local help for people who are underinsured or uninsured. Altoona Regional offers a free clinic. Additionally, local hospitals can normally point patients in the right direction.