[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 20602-20603]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HEALTH CARE SAFETY NET IMPROVEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                             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 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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