Meredith had been inspired to do so by her court-ordered community service crew, whom she saw struggle with all kinds of health issues without knowing who to turn to and if they could afford it. Her work crew boss couldn't get in to see a doctor for months because it took her insurance so long to approve the specialist, and she feared she couldn't afford take the time off to go anyway. See, if her boss didn't show up for work, she didn't get paid, and then she couldn't pay her rent. Meredith seemed shocked by this, but that's a reality for many real people in this country. And it's been a reality for a very, very long time.