Big clinic cuts would harm millions in state
Community health centers bring affordable, quality care to our neighborhoods. For many — especially the most vulnerable Americans — these clinics are the only opportunity to see a doctor.
But dysfunction from congressional Republicans has put these lifesaving centers on the chopping block.
In September, House Speaker Paul Ryan let the Community Health Center Fund lapse. Now, unless Congress acts to renew this funding, our health centers are bracing for a 70 percent budget cut.
Losing this funding would have major consequences in our community, including loss of services for patients, longer wait times, reduction in operation hours and staff layoffs.
Organizations such as La Clinica de la Raza, LifeLong Medical Care, Asian Health Services, Native American Health Center and West Oakland Health Council will be forced to cut back services. Families who turn to these clinics for preventive care, primary care, counseling, dentistry and optometry services will be left without care.
As a mother and a grandmother, I never want any parent to have to choose between taking their child to the doctor or putting food on the table. If our community health centers shutter, more of our neighbors and loved ones will be left with these impossible choices.
During the drafting of the Affordable Care Act, I fought to expand funding for local clinics and their dedicated staff. I knew that these doctors, nurses and health-care workers were on the front lines, helping to close gaps in coverage for the most vulnerable Americans and addressing racial health disparities.
In the end, community health centers gained billions of dollars in federal revenue in the Affordable Care Act with the mandated Community Health Centers Fund. This funding provides more than $3.6 billion to community centers across our country and more than $400 million in California annually.
Today, California health centers employ more than 33,000 people, contribute $3.9 billion in spending, and treat more than 6.2 million patients. One in 7 Californians get treatment from a local clinic. In the East Bay, community health centers are the cornerstone of healthy living and health-care access, serving more than 350,000 patients annually.
I’ve visited these health centers, met with patients and health care staff, and have seen the power of quality health care to transform lives. One of my priorities throughout my tenure in Congress has been to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic and ensure people living with the virus have care. This would not be possible without the dedicated work of health care providers at these centers that serve our community’s most vulnerable populations.
I’m working to protect our community clinics from the dysfunction that plagues Congress. But maddeningly, Republicans are holding funding hostage in an attempt to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.
We can’t let them prevail. Because this isn’t about politics or ideology — it’s about people’s lives. And in our community, no one should be priced out of seeing the doctor or filling a prescription. Congress should be creating opportunities for these clinics to increase patient capacity and expand their services, not cutting funding and thwarting access to quality, affordable care. As a member of the health funding subcommittee, I am taking on this fight in Washington.
Our community health centers save lives. We need to save these clinics.