So who is keeping up with what is going on in the House and federal spending? Well the House GOP is pushing for $61 Billion in cutbacks and at risk for loosing funding are Community Health Centers who largely see America's uninsured and underinsured residents.
Even if you have already, but especially if you haven't, please continue to contact your elected officials and ask others to do so as well. All you have to say is.... "I'm calling in support of my Community Health Center and ask them to NOT support proposed budget cuts to Community Health Centers."
Just in case you need them, some additional talking points include:
* This cut means eliminating health centers' capacity to serve 11 million patients over the next year.
* This cut means ending funding of Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants which have allowed health centers to expand to serve 3.3 million new patients in the last year and a half.
* This cut will raise costs in the health care system generally, and the Medicaid program specifically, by billions of dollars as patients who lose access to primary care seek care in emergency rooms and have worsening health.
* This cut will force health centers to lay off thousands of employees in rural and urban underserved communities nationwide.
* Community Health Centers preceded the Health Care Reform and have had bipartisan support as the most cost effective form of health care in the nation. Please help us continue to be the health safety net for your district.
Here is a link to new aids for communicating with House Members. http://www.nachc.org/FY2011cutsinfocenter.cfm