[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1797-E1798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REAUTHORIZATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 27, 1996

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of our 
community health centers and this reauthorization bill.
  I have introduced this piece of legislation in the House as H.R. 
3180. Although time constraints prevented the House Commerce Committee 
from moving this bill through the committee this year, I am extremely 
please that the House will have the opportunity to vote on this 
important reauthorization.
  This bill will consolidate community health centers, migrant health 
centers, health care for the homeless and health care in public housing 
projects under one authority as requested by the administration and as 
supported by the health centers.
  Health center programs have been highly successful in delivering 
primary health care to the Nation's most needy inner city and remote 
rural over the last 30 days.
  These centers have improved health, have high-confidence ratings from 
the people they serve, and have produced Federal savings by lessening 
the use of more expensive Federal provided health care.
  In New Mexico, Federal health centers serve over 150,000 patients 
each year. My State has 56 clinics in 27 of our 33 counties. In most 
areas these clinics are the sole providers of health care in the 
county. These clinics are usually also the only providers with a 
sliding fee scale, which means they provide both geographic and 
economic access to health care for many uninsured or geographically 
isolated New Mexicans.
  Community health programs are a vital part of health delivery to 
underserved communities across the country and a model of a Federal 
program that works.
  However, over the last 30 years the health care industry in our 
country has undergone significant changes. This is why I believe we 
must--through reauthorization--give the health center programs the 
flexibility and streamlined efficiency to survive in today's health 
care marketplace.
  This authority would support the continued development and operation 
of local, community-based systems of health care to address the needs 
of medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations.
  At the same time, my legislation frees these centers from unnecessary 
and burdensome requirements. This bill will: First, make the grant 
process more flexible, simpler, streamlined, and less burdensome for 
communities receiving health center awards; second, reduce the Federal 
administrative costs associated with administering the programs; and 
third, assure continued Federal support--in these times of tight 
budgets--for health centers by consolidating the funding previously 
requested under separate authorities.
  In addition, this legislation addresses the rapid expansion of 
managed care and gives our health centers the ability to complete in 
today's health care marketplace. This bill will create grants for 
health centers to plan and develop networks with health maintenance 
organizations or form their own networks with other physicians and 
hospitals.
  Further this legislation will reauthorize the Rural Health Outreach, 
Network Development, and Telemedicine Grant Program to focus on the 
development of coordinated, integrated health care delivery systems in 
rural areas using advanced technologies.
  I believe this bill is the most comprehensive approach to 
reauthorizing public health centers. This legislation has the support 
of the public health centers and would allow our public health centers 
to continue providing top

[[Page E1798]]

quality services to some of America's most underserved populations.

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