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H.Con.Res.144 - Recognizing the value, benefits, and importance of community health centers as health care homes for millions of people in the United States.111th Congress (2009-2010)
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Shown Here: Introduced in House (06/04/2009)
111th CONGRESS 1st Session
H. CON. RES. 144
Recognizing the value, benefits, and
importance of community health centers as health care homes for millions of
people in the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 4, 2009
Mr. Capuano (for
himself and Ms. Granger) submitted the
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and
Commerce
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing the value, benefits, and
importance of community health centers as health care homes for millions of
people in the United States.
Whereas community health centers currently form the
backbone of the health care safety net of the United States, caring for more
than 1 of every 5 low income uninsured people in the United States and
providing almost 1 of every 5 Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance
Program office visits;
Whereas more than 60,000,000 individuals in the United
States are medically disenfranchised, lacking access to primary care services
regardless of insurance coverage;
Whereas health centers effectively remove barriers to care
by providing cost-effective, high quality, comprehensive preventive and primary
health care, and effective care management for individuals with chronic
conditions;
Whereas, as a result, health centers have compiled a
well-documented record of reducing health disparities and improving patient
health outcomes, lowering the overall cost of care for their patients by 41
percent as compared to overall costs for those who receive care elsewhere,
generating $18,000,000,000 in savings each year for the health care
system;
Whereas an expansion of the highly effective health
centers program to provide a health care home for all 60,000,000 medically
disenfranchised people in the United States would increase the overall savings
they generate for the health care system to more than $80,000,000,000 each
year;
Whereas Congress has recognized the value of the care that
health centers provide to those enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, and the
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by making their services a
guaranteed benefit and by establishing a mechanism to appropriately reimburse
them for the quality care they provide;
Whereas private insurance often does not appropriately
reimburse health centers for the full spectrum of care they provide, forcing
health centers to divert other funds intended to support care for those in need
to instead subsidize under-payments for their privately insured patients; and
Whereas millions of people in the United States are in
need of a health care home like that provided by health centers, and health
centers are a proven model of health care delivery that assures high-quality,
cost-effective health care in every State of the Union: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That—
(1) Congress—
(A) recognizes that the current payment
mechanisms for Federally-Qualified Health Centers in Medicaid, the Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicare are essential to assuring access
to quality, affordable, primary and preventive care services for their
beneficiaries; and
(B) recognizes that any expansion of private
insurance must include mechanisms to ensure the full participation of, and
appropriate reimbursement to, Federally-Qualified Health Centers in order to
ensure adequate access to care for those who are medically underserved and
disenfranchised; and
(2) it is the sense of Congress that—
(A) everyone should have the choice of a
community health center as their health care home and every health center
should be appropriately reimbursed for the high value preventive and primary
health care it provides; and
(B) health care reform
should include measures to expand community health centers in order to reach
more of those who need a health care home.