Annette Kowal is the CEO of the Colorado Community Health Network.
You don't need a statistician to know that state and federal funding cuts to community health centers will negatively impact health care access for many Coloradans. But numbers certainly make the case clearer.
Colorado's 15 community health centers play a critical role in providing cost-effective, high-quality primary care to more than 500,000 — or 1 in 10 — Coloradans. In Colorado, community health centers care for 33 percent of Medicaid enrollees, 33 percent of the state's low-income uninsured and 25 percent of those enrolled in Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+).
Since the start of the state's economic downturn in 2009, community health centers experienced a total of $36 million in state funding cuts. These cuts jeopardize health care access for more than 50,000 Coloradans at a time when demand for these services is rising.
Nationwide, a community health center expansion program was cut this year by $600 million — jeopardizing new health care access for more than 1 million Americans.
Colorado's community health centers submitted federal expansion applications that would have brought $15 million to the state. That money would have provided health care access to more than 95,000 Coloradans and new health care services to more than 13,000 current community health center patients.
These cuts have come during a time when demand for community health center services has grown — with centers reporting visits for Medicaid patients up by as much as 40 percent and 23 percent from the uninsured. Unfortunately, the need is greater than the centers' capacity. As of February 2011, nearly 20,000 Coloradans were on a community health center waiting list.
These cuts also undermine the system-wide health care cost savings that community health centers generate. Nationally, community health centers save the health care system $24 billion annually, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers. Through effective preventive and primary care services, community health centers reduce the rate of preventable hospitalizations, inpatient days and emergency department use.
Compared to other primary health care providers, community health centers are more likely to accept new patients; offer evening and weekend hours; offer dental, behavioral health and pharmacy services; provide access to a consistent source of care for Medicaid and uninsured patients; and serve more chronically ill, uninsured, publicly insured and minority patients. Though community health centers provide services not typically furnished in other care settings, their costs are still lower. The cost of health care per patient per year is $1,263 less for health center users than for other patients.
Additionally, community health centers are economic engines in 123 local communities statewide, employing more than 3,300 people in health care jobs. These centers also generate the equivalent of approximately another 3,300 full-time jobs in the community through the purchase of goods and services from local business.
State and federal investments in community health centers are investments in the health of Coloradans, our communities, and our economy — investments with proven returns not often matched elsewhere.
Perhaps there's a way to incentivize clients who are not "last resort" to use community clinics, and then the reputation perceived by private insurers will be mitigated. I'm middle class, but choose the county clinic on occasion because I think they are more efficient, as well as saving me money because of my big deductible. Insurers should recognize this is common practice.
Posted by: sonia koetting | 07/01/2011 at 08:36 AM