[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HEALTH CENTERS RENEWAL AMENDMENTS OF 2006

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                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2006

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my 
colleague from Florida, Mr. Bilirakis, in introducing the Health 
Centers Renewal Amendments of 2006. This important legislation will re-
authorize the Health Center program through fiscal year 2011 and enable 
us to build on the tremendous successes that the health centers have 
already achieved.
  With 46 million Americans currently living without health insurance, 
health centers have become a critical feature of our country's safety 
net. Of the more than 14 million Americans served by health centers, 75 
percent are either uninsured or Medicaid beneficiaries. In fact, more 
than 90 percent of health center clients have incomes below 200 percent 
of the federal poverty level. Without health centers to provide quality 
primary and preventive care, these folks would most likely forgo health 
care and end up in our hospital emergency rooms.
  Health centers are not free clinics. While health centers do not turn 
away patients due to an inability to pay, every patient pays something 
based on a sliding scale. This policy improves both financial and 
health outcomes, ensuring that patients are invested in their health 
care and follow the doctor's orders.
  Another critical feature of the health center program is the 
community board. For approval and funding as a federally-qualified 
health center, a center must have put in place a board of directors 
whose membership is at least 51 percent comprised of health center 
patients. While communities may initially view this aspect of the 
health center program as a significant hurdle, this requirement ensures 
that community health centers are just that--grounded in the community. 
With a community board governing the health center, patients are 
assured that all health center policies have been developed with the 
needs of patients in mind. It is the complementary nature of these 
requirements that has helped the health center program become so 
effective and enjoy unprecedented bi-partisan support, from both the 
Congress and the Bush Administration.
  Despite the accomplishments to date of the health center program, 
much more work needs to be done. While the number of health centers has 
increased by 58 percent since 1997, the number of health center 
patients has increased by 90 percent over the same period. There is 
still tremendous need and, unfortunately, the ranks of the uninsured 
are only growing.
  In the Houston area, we now have nine federally-qualified health 
centers, an increase from the four centers we had in our area just one 
year ago. While we have celebrated that achievement, our state of Texas 
still has the largest percentage of uninsured individuals in the 
country, and many more health centers are needed in our state to meet 
our growing need for quality health care that is affordable. This 
legislation will help us address that need by ensuring the continued 
authorization of this important program that has improved the health of 
millions of our constituents.
  On a personal note, I would like to thank my friend, Mr. Bilirakis, 
for all of his work over the years on behalf of our health centers. He 
is a tireless champion of this program, and I look forward to working 
with him to make sure that the reauthorization of this program is just 
one of the many health care accomplishments that will be part of his 
legacy in Congress.

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