Op/ed: Funding essential for community health centers

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on October 8, 2019

Health care is a top issue on voter’s minds and with good reason. Everyone seems to have a story about how difficult it is to see a doctor, fill a prescription, or access affordable care. Congress is debating a lot of fixes, but one solution they should focus on has already been making a difference for more than 50 years: community health centers. Health centers care for one in 12 Americans, approximately 28 million people. They save the health care system $24 billion per year by eliminating waste and keeping people out of emergency rooms. They promote health and save lives.

Congress passed a short-term funding package that pushed the community health center funding cliff from this past, Oct. 1 to Nov. 21. While this is a great relief, it is obviously only a temporary solution. We must impress upon our representatives the importance of health care access to everyone, and the need for long-term, sustainable funding for our health centers.

Community health centers are already addressing public health challenges – insurance landscape changes, the opioid epidemic, caring for our veterans. Health centers are a bipartisan program, but even strong support doesn’t guarantee survival in Washington. Let’s encourage our representatives to act soon to protect health center funding before time runs out.