Resolution to Expand Access to Community Health Centers (REACH) Initiative

Resolution to Expand Access to Community Health Centers (REACH) Initiative - Expresses the sense of the Senate that appropriations for consolidated health centers under the Public Health Service Act should be increased by 100 percent over the next five fiscal years in order to double the number of individuals who receive health care services at community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers.

[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 57 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 57

   To express the sense of the Senate that the Federal investment in 
programs that provide health care services to uninsured and low-income 
  individuals in medically underserved areas be increased in order to 
              double access to care over the next 5 years.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 9, 2001

 Mr. Bond (for himself, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
 DeWine, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Breaux, Ms. Collins, 
  Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. 
    Lugar, Mrs. Murray, and Mr. Wellstone) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   To express the sense of the Senate that the Federal investment in 
programs that provide health care services to uninsured and low-income 
  individuals in medically underserved areas be increased in order to 
              double access to care over the next 5 years.

Whereas the uninsured population in the United States is approximately 
        43,000,000 and is estimated to reach over 53,000,000 people by 2007;
Whereas nearly 80 percent of the uninsured population are members of working 
        families who cannot afford health insurance or cannot access employer-
        provided health insurance plans;
Whereas minority populations, rural residents, and single-parent families 
        represent a disproportionate number of the uninsured population;
Whereas the problem of health care access for the uninsured population is 
        compounded in many urban and rural communities by a lack of providers 
        who are available to serve both insured and uninsured populations;
Whereas community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers have 
        proven uniquely qualified to address the lack of adequate health care 
        services for uninsured populations, serving over 4,900,000 uninsured 
        patients in 2000, including over 1,000,000 new uninsured patients who 
        have sought care from such centers in the last 3 years;
Whereas health centers care for almost 12,000,000 patients, nearly 8,000,000 
        minorities, nearly 650,000 farmworkers, and almost 600,000 homeless 
        individuals each year;
Whereas health centers provide cost-effective comprehensive primary and 
        preventive care to uninsured individuals for less than $1.00 per day, or 
        $350 annually, and help to reduce the inappropriate use of costly 
        emergency rooms and inpatient hospital care;
Whereas current resources only allow health centers to serve more than 10 
        percent of the Nation's 43,000,000 uninsured individuals;
Whereas past investments to increase health center access have resulted in 
        better health, an improved quality of life for all Americans, and a 
        reduction in national health care expenditures;
Whereas Congress can act now to increase access to health care services for 
        uninsured and low-income people together with or in advance of health 
        care coverage proposals by expanding the availability of services at 
        community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers; and
Whereas President George W. Bush has proposed to double the number of people 
        served at health centers: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This resolution may be cited as the ``Resolution to Expand Access 
to Community Health Centers (REACH) Initiative''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

    It is the sense of the Senate that appropriations for consolidated 
health centers under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254b) should be increased by 100 percent over the next 5 fiscal 
years in order to double the number of individuals who receive health 
care services at community, migrant, homeless, and public housing 
health centers.
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