Free clinics critical for health of Pennsylvanians
From all indications, tougher economic times are ahead for the nation, for the state, for our communities and for many families.
During such times, it's important to get the most bang for your bucks. For that reason, state legislators should get behind an effort that has proven successful in helping the needy in our communities receive health care.
Senate Bill 5 would create a Community-Based Health Care Program to support nonprofit community health centers, like the one in Altoona operated by Dr. Zane Gates.
These clinics, which often rely on volunteers and donations, provide an important safety net to low-income, uninsured people at an affordable cost to society. In a letter to the editor, Gates says the clinic he leads provides care for 6,000 people a year at a cost of $164,000. That's a little more than $27 per person.
People who have insurance can face those types of costs in office-visit copays.
Gates persuasively argues that encouraging free community health clinics will discourage the need for uninsured people to make visits to emergency rooms, which carry a much higher cost, by taking care of problems before they become serious.
SB 5 is part of the HealthNET PA proposal put forth by Senate Republicans to aid the uninsured, which would cost the state about $100 million. That's a sizeable amount of money, but it's a fraction of Gov. Ed Rendell's $1.4 billion program for covering the uninsured. Coming up with that amount of money at a time in which some are predicting massive budget deficits would be difficult to justify.
Fortunately, the state can make a difference with much less money by supporting free clinics through SB 5.
Time in this legislative session is rapidly drawing to a close, but there still is an opportunity for our lawmakers to act to encourage the growth of free health care centers.
Economic times are getting tougher, which means more Pennsylvanians likely will be needing assistance with their health care.
Free clinics can play a bigger role in meeting that need - if our lawmakers act quickly.
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ArtHUR
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10-11-08 10:14 AM
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Look up Rugged Individualism, 166. Then leave the country.
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altLaw
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10-11-08 9:29 AM
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Doctors Nurses and other personnel at free clinics have to realize that they are held to a high standard of care and not treat clients as throw-away people. Clinics must keep charts, progress notes and administer medicines competently - sometimes according to Black Box Warnings. Clinicians including doctors have should under-promise and over-deliver. Clinics are a provider of Last Resort, so they take a lackadaisical attitude toward customer service and sometimes drop patients after getting them habituated to expensive drugs. Such clinics in fact, murder people, then hide behind their presumed charitable intention. Real people need real Doctors and Nurses who really care. If payment is an issue, the Republicans have not trouble drumming up 700 Billions of dollars if the right people ask.
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mammamia
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10-10-08 7:37 AM
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Yeah, drugs are a b itch on the pearly whites.
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ArtHUR
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10-09-08 9:18 AM
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For your grills
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natasha
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10-08-08 10:37 AM
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Pa also needs free dental clinics!
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