FRANKLIN, La. - This week, representatives of Community Health Centers across the country converge on the nation's capital. They're asking Congress not to cut their funding as lawmakers work to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff." In Louisiana, cutbacks would bring many lower-income and uninsured people to a different kind of "cliff," by jeopardizing their only access to affordable medical care.
Dr. Gary Wiltz, who runs a clinic in Franklin, is also on the board of the National Association of Community Health Centers. He says the centers are an important part of the social-service safety net, and no one is turned away.
"We take pride in that, that we provide care to everybody in the community, regardless of their ability to pay. A lot of folks have Medicaid but, as you know, Medicaid doesn't always buy you access. But we accept Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, and if our budget is not cut, then we can see even more."
The national association says Community Health Centers reduce health care costs by more than 25 percent, because patients can afford to be seen early and regularly, especially for chronic ailments. This keeps them out of more expensive hospitals and emergency rooms.
Community Health Centers are also key components of health care reform. The Affordable Care Act included money to improve their facilities and equipment to serve millions more people. In Louisiana, Dr. Wiltz says, the investment was much-needed, and also boosted local economies.
"We were in old churches, old schools, old houses. Now, we're in facilities that can accommodate the increased demand for services that we've seen, in the economic downturn. And as we move forward and more people get covered, then we're going to obviously increase the access, even more access to care."
Wiltz says Community Health Centers have traditionally had bipartisan support in Congress. He's convinced that is still the case, but says with all options on the table to balance the budget, it's the right time to remind lawmakers not to cut a program that is working, and ultimately saving health-care dollars.
Play