Appropriations Committee has recommended a cut of $1.3 billion for Community Health Centers for this current fiscal year
ACCESS Family,
Here we go with the political stuff. We've already dealt with State budget cuts, but cuts at the federal level will have a huge impact. Sorry to have to bring this news, but there is a chance to make a difference. As I've told most of you in orientations, the legislative piece of operating a FQHC is very important and responses from legislators' constituents are very effective.
Our new Congressman is Billy Long. I really don't know much about him, except he replaces Roy Blunt who was very supportive of health centers. I have no idea where Congressman Long stands on that--not sure if anyone really knows since he is new and no matter what they say, it's how they vote that counts. One thing we do know, the recession is causing everyone to revisit budgets, spending, and revenue opportunities. ACCESS Family Care is depending on this ARRA funding. The big hit will be the Cassville building program.
I urge you and anyone else you can encourage, coerce, challenge, and or beg to send a message to Congressman Long. The information on down in this email will provide you step-by-step guidance. Put it in your own words--that is more effective than "copied" messages.
The other thing you need to do is get on our website under the advocacy tab and sign up for the advocacy database and encourage anyone who you can influence to do the same. Feel free to push this email out in forwards. Thanks for your help, and I'll keep you informed. We are allowed to use a very limited amount of time and resources for legislative advocacy, and we really need to do so now.
Here is Congressman Billy Long's contact information:
Congressman Billy Long
Washington, DC
1541 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6536
Fax: (202) 225-5604
Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM Eastern time
Joplin Office
2727 E. 32nd St., Suite 2
Joplin, MO 64804
Email portal located at https://long.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Twitter @auctnr1
Facebook: Click here for Billy Long
From Missouri Primary Care Association
Good Afternoon,
Many of you have received the below action alert from NACHC. The House Appropriations Committee has recommended a cut of $1.3 billion for Community Health Centers for this current fiscal year.
This is a HUGE cut to Community Health Centers and will severely and permanently impact the ability of every health center in the nation to operate and keep their doors open. NACHC estimates that over 11 million patients will lose access to care and most staff positions will be eliminated.
This is a true emergency and your action, along with every member of your staff and board and patients need to get in touch with your member of Congress to show a unified voice that these funding cuts for health centers will be absolutely devastating.
Please consider responding in every manner NACHC describes below and if you do send an email, please consider personalizing your message to tell the story fo the impact that this will have on YOUR health center.
Danny
Danny O’Neill
Director of Government Affairs and Health Center Development
Missouri Primary Care Association
3325 Emerald Lane
Jefferson City, Missouri 65109
Phone: 573 636-4222
Fax: 573 636-4585
From National Associaiton of Community Health Centers
From: Amanda Pears - NACHC [mailto:apears@nachc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 12:17 PM
To: Danny O'Neill
Subject: URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Possible $1.3 Billion in Cuts to Health Center Funding
URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Possible $1.3 Billion in Cuts to Health Center Funding
Contact Your Representative Immediately
We Need an OVERWHELMING Grassroots Effort NOW to Try to Prevent these Cuts!
CALL AND Email YOUR Representative NOW!
The House Appropriations Committee has announced it will be sending a bill to the House floor that includes $1.3 BILLION in cuts to Health Center funding. This means: ENDING FUNDING for ARRA-funded Health Centers, ENDING FUNDING of Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants AND ELIMINATION of Health Center capacity to treat 11 million patients!
We need EVERY Health Center Advocate to CALL AND EMAIL their Representative Immediately:
1) CALL your Representative directly by dialing the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121 and ask your Representative to OPPOSE CUTS to the Health Centers Program and keep funding WHOLE at $2.19 billion in FY2011. Send us an email (grassroots@nachc.com) to let us know you called so we are aware of your response.
THEN
2) Click the Take Action link in the upper right hand corner of this alert to send your Representative a message NOW telling them to OPPOSE CUTS to the Health Centers Program and keep funding WHOLE at $2.19 billion in FY2011.
THEN
3) Send this alert to your family, friends and colleagues and ask them to take action on this alert to prevent cuts to Health Center funding IMMEDIATELY.
THIS IS NOT A POSSIBILITY – NOT A DRILL – These cuts are IN the Bill that will be voted on by the House of Representatives and WILL result in Health Center funding being cut $1.3 BILLION THIS YEAR unless there is an overwhelming outcry to STOP THESE CUTS from becoming a reality. Every member of the House needs to hear NOW what a cut in funding will mean for YOUR Health Center and your community. Please call AND email your Representative NOW and ask them to oppose cuts to the Health Centers program and level -fund health centers in FY2011.
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What will $1.3 Billion in cuts the Health Centers mean:
- The devastating $1.3 billion cut proposed by the House Appropriations Committee will mean that overall health centers will lose the capacity to serve 11 million patients.
- Within months, 127 new health centers that have opened in the last year and a half thanks to Recovery Act or stimulus funds will have to CLOSE THEIR DOORS.
- Well over 3.3 million patients who have received access to care in the last year and a half under the Recovery Act or stimulus New Access Point and Increased Demand for Services funding will LOSE ACCESS to care within months as a result of this cut.
- This cut will not only halt the expansion of the cost-effective, high quality and patient-directed health center model of care, it will have real, devastating and virtually immediate impacts on existing health centers and the communities and patients they serve – pregnant women, children, those without health insurance due to the recession and recent unemployment and people with HIV/AIDS to name a few – will literally be left with nowhere to turn.
- Health centers will also be forced to lay off thousands of employees in the rural and urban underserved communities where they are located.
- This proposed cut comes at a time when states have to cut $89 million in financial support to health centers due to their budgetary crises.
- This cut MUST be rejected.