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Everyone knows Congress is under tremendous pressure to get our nations fiscal house in order. The debate now is not which programs to cut, but by how much. I believe that is a dangerous proposition for Community Health Centers like Family Health.
More than 23 million Americans rely on Community Health Centers for primary and preventative care, including over a half million Ohioans. The primary and preventative care provided by Community Health Centers helps save more than $1,200 per patient annually, saves millions of dollars for the Medicaid program and keeps patients out of far more costly places, like emergency rooms. In fact, Health Centers currently serve 14% of all Medicaid beneficiaries at a total cost of only 1% of Medicaid spending! There is no doubt that deep cuts to Community Health Centers will shift patients to more expensive health care alternatives costing taxpayers even more.
As a taxpayer and an employee of Family Health, I ask our representatives in Congress to protect the future of Community Health Centers. Cutting health centers is a big step in the wrong direction because it will definitely drive patients to more expensive healthcare settings –like hospital emergency rooms.
Jean Young, Executive Director
Family Health Services of Darke County, Inc.
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