[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 31 (Friday, March 9, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S2135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 57--TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE 
   FEDERAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO 
UNINSURED AND LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS IN MEDICALLY UNDER-SERVED AREAS BE 
   INCREASED IN ORDER TO DOUBLE ACCESS TO CARE OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS

  Mr. BOND (for himself, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
DeWine, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Breaux, Ms. Collins, 
Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. 
Lugar, Mrs. Murray, and Mr. Wellstone) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations:

                               S. Res. 57

       Whereas the uninsured population in the United States is 
     approximately 43,000,000 and is estimated to reach over 
     53,000,000 people by 2007;
       Whereas nearly 80 percent of the uninsured population are 
     members of working families who cannot afford health 
     insurance or cannot access employer-provided health insurance 
     plans;
       Whereas minority populations, rural residents, and single-
     parent families represent a disproportionate number of the 
     uninsured population;
       Whereas the problem of health care access for the uninsured 
     population is compounded in many urban and rural communities 
     by a lack of providers who are available to serve both 
     insured and uninsured populations;
       Whereas community, migrant, homeless, and public housing 
     health centers have proven uniquely qualified to address the 
     lack of adequate health care services for uninsured 
     populations, serving over 4,900,000 uninsured patients in 
     2000, including over 1,000,000 new uninsured patients who 
     have sought care from such centers in the last 3 years;
       Whereas health centers care for almost 12,000,000 patients, 
     nearly 8,000,000 minorities, nearly 650,000 farmworkers, and 
     almost 600,000 homeless individuals each year;
       Whereas health centers provide cost-effective comprehensive 
     primary and preventive care to uninsured individuals for less 
     than $1.00 per day, or $350 annually, and help to reduce the 
     inappropriate use of costly emergency rooms and inpatient 
     hospital care;
       Whereas current resources only allow health centers to 
     serve more than 10 percent of the Nation's 43,000,000 
     uninsured individuals;
       Whereas past investments to increase health center access 
     have resulted in better health, an improved quality of life 
     for all Americans, and a reduction in national health care 
     expenditures;
       Whereas Congress can act now to increase access to health 
     care services for uninsured and low-income people together 
     with or in advance of health care coverage proposals by 
     expanding the availability of services at community, migrant, 
     homeless, and public housing health centers; and
       Whereas President George W. Bush has proposed to double the 
     number of people served at health centers: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This resolution may be cited as the ``Resolution to Expand 
     Access to Community Health Centers (REACH) Initiative''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

       It is the sense of the Senate that appropriations for 
     consolidated health centers under section 330 of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b) should be increased by 
     100 percent over the next 5 fiscal years in order to double 
     the number of individuals who receive health care services at 
     community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health 
     centers.

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