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

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 96 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 96

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 health care over the next 5 years.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 20, 2003

Mr. Bond (for himself and Mr. Hollings) 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 health 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 more than 5,000,000
uninsured patients in 2002;
Whereas health centers care for nearly 14,000,000 patients, including nearly
9,000,000 minorities, nearly 850,000 farmworkers, and almost 750,000
homeless individuals each year;
Whereas health centers provide cost-effective comprehensive primary and
preventive care to uninsured individuals for nearly $1.00 per day, or
$425 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 12 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 has already begun to increase access to health care services
for uninsured and low-income people in advance of health care coverage
proposals by expanding the availability of services at community,
migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers; and
Whereas the President has proposed to double the number of people served by
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 5 fiscal years,
ending in 2006, 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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