[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1860-E1861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HEALTH CARE SAFETY NET IMPROVEMENT ACT

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                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 11, 2002

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
3450, The Health Care Safety Net Improvement Act which amends the 
Public Health Service Act to increase authorization for health centers. 
Reauthorization of this bill will help to improve, strengthen and 
expand delivery of health care services for community health centers 
(CHC). I am particularly in favor of this bill because CHC's have been 
pivotal towards improving access to health care for my uninsured and 
disadvantaged constituents of New Mexico. Without these centers, too 
many New Mexican's would go without essential preventative health care 
and primary care services.
  Recent studies have demonstrated that the disparity in access to 
health care has contributed to poorer health and shortened life span of 
the uninsured. Often, the reason for not seeking medical attention is 
because the cost of treatment is too expensive. Therefore, these 
patients forgo the preventative and often life saving treatment because 
they cannot afford it. Instead, only in extreme life or limb cases do 
they seek treatment. Sadly, only after the disease has advanced and 
progressed into precarious stages leaving little opportunity for a 
healthy recovery. Time and again they seek treatment in a hospital 
setting hoping to temporary ameliorate their condition so they can 
continue to live their normal lives. Not once thinking about how they 
will control their condition upon discharge because they know that they 
are uninsured and cannot afford ongoing treatment of their condition. 
So they settle for a temporary bandaid to alleviate the pain.
  There are too many Americans with inadequate access to health care. 
Whether they

[[Page E1861]]

are uninsured or come from disadvantaged backgrounds, these individuals 
should have the right to access to quality health care. That is why I 
support community health centers. These safety-net health care centers 
provide health care for predominately uninsured individuals, Medicaid 
beneficiaries and other vulnerable patients regardless of their ability 
to pay. Without CHC's many of my constituents that suffer from chronic 
disease like diabetes or cardiovascular disease would not have access 
to health care. They would not have the eye and foot exams to prevent 
blindness or amputation or the medications to help them control their 
blood glucose levels, blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Pregnant 
women would not have access to prenatal care and children would not 
have the vaccinations they require.
  Until we can find a solution to universal health care, we must 
continue to support other systems of care that treat vulnerable 
populations. Safety-net health centers provide the essential 
preventative and clinical healthcare treatment services aimed at 
controlling and preventing the onset of chronic diseases, cancers and 
other anomalies that continue to plague New Mexican's in growing 
numbers.

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