[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 28, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 28, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    IN SUPPORT OF ROWLAND-BILIRAKIS

  (Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, as a proud cosponsor of the Rowland-
Bilirakis health care bill, I would like to note the unique approach 
taken. They looked at the problems that people have in health care and 
addressed the problems without trying to turn one-seventh of the 
economy over to the Federal Government. It addresses insurance reform, 
such as portability and permanence and pooling and preexisting 
conditions.
  It has real legal reform, and one of the salient points of it is 
this, it expands from 1,200 to 3,600 the number of community health 
care centers in America. I have a community health care center in my 
district. They have about 25,000 patients on the payload. They see 
about 12,500 people every year. They are subsidized by the taxpayer, to 
the tune of $750,000 a year, about half their entire budget. That comes 
to $30 a year per patient. That is a burden that I believe Americans 
are willing to pay to help those who cannot afford insurance.
  They treat the working poor, not Medicaid or Medicare, and anyone in 
this room can go into a community health center tomorrow and be treated 
and they will charge you something or nothing, depending on your 
ability to pay. It has the additional advantage of being able to place 
these communities' health centers in the rural areas and the inner 
cities where they are needed the most.

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