June 1, 2000

Dear Colleague:

Community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers provide care to more than 11 million people living in America’s inner city and rural areas. Anyone, rich or poor, insured or uninsured, can receive important primary and preventive health care services at their local health centers. At a time when 1 out of every 6 Americans lacks health insurance, community health centers are vital to protect working poor families that cannot afford insurance and would have few other options to receive care in their communities.

Because of health centers’ and rural health clinics’ important roles in providing health care to medically needy communities, we introduced the Safety Net Preservation Act. This legislation would ensure that centers and clinics can continue to provide health care services to uninsured Americans who have nowhere else to turn for the care they need. By requiring that Medicaid cover a health center’s cost for providing care to Medicaid patients, this legislation would protect the 1 billion dollars in federal grants that are used to help health centers care for more than 4.5 million uninsured Americans.

No small business can survive if it is forced to sell its goods for less than cost–health centers are no different. By ensuring that health centers are paid enough for their Medicaid patients, the Safety Net Preservation Act allows them to provide care to more uninsured Americans. That is not only fair, it is also smart. Health centers save millions of dollars every year in lower emergency room costs because their patients are diagnosed and treated early.

The Safety Net Preservation Act:

Controls the cost of health care services by capping annual payment increases;

Provides incentives for health centers and clinics to become more efficient;

Protects State and Federal budgets by controlling the growth of Medicaid spending; and

Ensures that health centers can continue to provide care for poor and working uninsured Americans.

If you would like more information about this common sense, bipartisan legislation, or if you would like to cosponsor H.R. 2341, please contact Jenny Hansen (Rep. Burr-52071) or Brenda Pillors (Rep. Towns-55936).

Sincerely,

Rep. Richard Burr (R-NC)            Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY)   

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