POSTED: Monday, October 12, 2009
Message from the CEO
Hello friends,
Health Care Reform. I'm asked about it almost every day and my
typical response is "Don't ask me." I've tried to hide behind the
fact that "I'm just an old social worker" or "I'm really new at
this health care thing," but those lines aren't working anymore. As
the CEO of a rapidly growing Community Health Center, I'm expected
to have some answers, so here we go. My thoughts on the subject
start with these premises, which are opinions shared by most people
that I've talked to about the subject:
- The United States has the best health care system in the world.
- Though we are the best, reform is needed and we can do better.
- Health care should be available to everyone, regardless of insurance status.
Beyond that, things start to get gray quickly for me. Is there a way to make the insurance industry more competitive without a public option? Will increased involvement by the government result in someone other than my doctor and me making decisions about my care? Is it possible to provide health care to millions of additional citizens without increasing the costs to the taxpayer? Will rationing of care become a necessity, leading to utilitarianism? Don't we all pay for the uninsured to get care now through emergency rooms anyway? Couldn't those costs be reduced if everyone had insurance AND access to a primary care provider?
I won't answer these questions here, but I will tell you what I know. Community Health Centers are a huge part of the solution and have support from both ends of the political spectrum:
"We've got a lot of people who go to emergency rooms for primary
care. That's why I'm for Community Health Centers - realistic,
smart ways to make sure people can get primary health care who
don't have it." - George W. Bush
"Our current $2 billion-per-year investment in Community Health Centers provides comprehensive primary health care through 1,100 community-run, nonprofit organizations in every region of the country. The average cost in federal funds comes to about $125 per patient per year. By increasing funding to less than 0.5 percent of overall U.S. spending on medical care, we could provide primary health care to every American who needs it. In other words, for a total of $8.3 billion by the year 2015, we could have 4,800 health centers caring for 60 million more Americans in every area of the country that is designated medically underserved." - Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) and Representative Jim Clyburn (Democrat, SC) in an article titled Local Health Centers Key to Care.
"Community Health Centers are part of the solution to our health
care problems, if they were widely available to patients; linked to
hospitals, specialty care providers and private-sector partners;
and adequately funded." - Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC).
Quoted in an article by Parker, Charlestons Post and Courier,
7/21.
I think that health care reform should take into account issues of
human dignity, fair treatment of the poor and needy and prudence
(balancing what we want to do with our ability to reasonably pay
for it). I know that Community Health Centers can play an important
role in bringing access to quality health care to the most
vulnerable citizens in our neighborhoods. At HopeHealth, we do it
everyday.
Sincerely,
Carl
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POSTED: Monday, October 12, 2009
Message from the CEO
Hello friends,
Health Care Reform. I'm asked about it almost every day and my
typical response is "Don't ask me." I've tried to hide behind the
fact that "I'm just an old social worker" or "I'm really new at
this health care thing," but those lines aren't working anymore. As
the CEO of a rapidly growing Community Health Center, I'm expected
to have some answers, so here we go. My thoughts on the subject
start with these premises, which are opinions shared by most people
that I've talked to about the subject:
- The United States has the best health care system in the world.
- Though we are the best, reform is needed and we can do better.
- Health care should be available to everyone, regardless of insurance status.
Beyond that, things start to get gray quickly for me. Is there a way to make the insurance industry more competitive without a public option? Will increased involvement by the government result in someone other than my doctor and me making decisions about my care? Is it possible to provide health care to millions of additional citizens without increasing the costs to the taxpayer? Will rationing of care become a necessity, leading to utilitarianism? Don't we all pay for the uninsured to get care now through emergency rooms anyway? Couldn't those costs be reduced if everyone had insurance AND access to a primary care provider?
I won't answer these questions here, but I will tell you what I know. Community Health Centers are a huge part of the solution and have support from both ends of the political spectrum:
"We've got a lot of people who go to emergency rooms for primary
care. That's why I'm for Community Health Centers - realistic,
smart ways to make sure people can get primary health care who
don't have it." - George W. Bush
"Our current $2 billion-per-year investment in Community Health Centers provides comprehensive primary health care through 1,100 community-run, nonprofit organizations in every region of the country. The average cost in federal funds comes to about $125 per patient per year. By increasing funding to less than 0.5 percent of overall U.S. spending on medical care, we could provide primary health care to every American who needs it. In other words, for a total of $8.3 billion by the year 2015, we could have 4,800 health centers caring for 60 million more Americans in every area of the country that is designated medically underserved." - Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) and Representative Jim Clyburn (Democrat, SC) in an article titled Local Health Centers Key to Care.
"Community Health Centers are part of the solution to our health
care problems, if they were widely available to patients; linked to
hospitals, specialty care providers and private-sector partners;
and adequately funded." - Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC).
Quoted in an article by Parker, Charlestons Post and Courier,
7/21.
I think that health care reform should take into account issues of
human dignity, fair treatment of the poor and needy and prudence
(balancing what we want to do with our ability to reasonably pay
for it). I know that Community Health Centers can play an important
role in bringing access to quality health care to the most
vulnerable citizens in our neighborhoods. At HopeHealth, we do it
everyday.
Sincerely,
Carl
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