[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 9, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S6388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 25--RECOGNIZING THE VALUE AND BENEFITS 
  THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS PROVIDE AS HEALTH CARE HOMES FOR OVER 
 18,000,000 INDIVIDUALS, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ENABLING HEALTH CENTERS 
    AND OTHER SAFETY NET PROVIDERS TO CONTINUE TO OFFER ACCESSIBLE, 
AFFORDABLE, AND CONTINUOUS CARE TO THEIR CURRENT PATIENTS AND TO EVERY 
   AMERICAN WHO LACKS ACCESS TO PREVENTIVE AND PRIMARY CARE SERVICES

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance:

                            S. Con. Res. 25

       Whereas a strong system of health care safety net providers 
     is vital to ensuring that any health care system address 
     access, cost, and quality challenges while providing care for 
     the most vulnerable individuals and communities;
       Whereas community health centers currently form the 
     backbone of the health care safety net for the United States, 
     caring for more than 1 out of every 5 uninsured low-income 
     Americans and providing almost 1 out of every 5 office visits 
     under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program;
       Whereas more than 60,000,000 individuals in the United 
     States are medically disenfranchised, lacking access to 
     primary care services like those provided by health centers 
     and other safety net providers, regardless of insurance 
     coverage;
       Whereas health centers effectively remove barriers to care 
     by providing cost-effective, high-quality, and comprehensive 
     preventive and primary health care, as well as effective care 
     management for individuals with chronic conditions;
       Whereas health centers have compiled a well-documented 
     record of reducing health disparities and improving patient 
     health outcomes, lowering the overall cost of care for their 
     patients by 41 percent as compared to individuals who receive 
     care elsewhere, and generating $18,000,000,000 in savings 
     each year for the health care system;
       Whereas an expansion of the highly effective Health Centers 
     Program to provide a health care home for all 60,000,000 
     medically disenfranchised Americans would increase the 
     overall savings that health centers generate for the health 
     care system to up to $80,000,000,000 each year;
       Whereas Congress has recognized the value of the care that 
     health centers provide to those enrolled in Medicaid and the 
     Children's Health Insurance Program by making their services 
     a guaranteed benefit and establishing a mechanism to 
     appropriately reimburse health centers for the quality care 
     that they provide;
       Whereas private insurance often does not appropriately 
     reimburse safety net providers like health centers for the 
     full spectrum of care they provide, forcing health centers to 
     subsidize under-payments for their privately insured patients 
     by diverting funds intended to support care for those in 
     need; and
       Whereas millions of Americans in underserved communities 
     are in need of a health care home like those provided by 
     health centers, which serve as a proven model of health care 
     delivery that assures high-quality and cost-effective health 
     care in every State of the Nation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That--
       (1) all individuals should have the choice of a community 
     health center as their health care home and every health 
     center should be appropriately reimbursed for the high-value 
     preventive and primary care they provide;
       (2) health care reform should include measures to expand 
     community health centers in order to reach more individuals 
     who need a health care home;
       (3) the current payment mechanisms for Federally-qualified 
     health centers through Medicaid and the Children's Health 
     Insurance Program are essential to ensuring access to 
     affordable and high-quality preventive and primary care 
     services for beneficiaries of such programs;
       (4) any expansion of private insurance must include 
     mechanisms to ensure the full participation of, and 
     appropriate reimbursement to, Federally-qualified health 
     centers and other safety net providers in order to ensure 
     adequate access to care for those individuals who are 
     medically underserved or disenfranchised; and
       (5) ensuring access to all safety net providers, including 
     Federally-qualified health centers, will be vital to ensuring 
     that health care reform is successful in expanding access, 
     improving quality, and reducing cost.

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