Political Quotes

“today, Senator Burr and I are introducing a resolution that reaffirms the importance of the Medicaid prospective payment system for federally qualified health centers. Federally qualified health centers--community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers--form the backbone of the Nation's health care safety net. FQHC's provide cost-effective, high-quality health care to the Nation's poor and medically underserved, including the working poor, the uninsured, and many high-risk and vulnerable populations. Federally qualified health centers serve nearly 1 of 5 low-income children. Two-thirds of health center patients are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. And over 675,000 homeless persons receive care at health centers every year. FQHC's play a particularly critical role in serving patients enrolled in Medicaid. Health centers provide care to nearly 6 million of the 53 million people enrolled in the Medicaid Program nationwide. Thirty-six percent of all FQHC patients are Medicaid beneficiaries compared to 12 percent nationally. Notably, the cost of treating Medicaid patients at FQHCs is about one-third less than the cost for those receiving care elsewhere, with drug costs alone about 25 percent lower. In 2000, a bipartisan majority of the Congress established a prospective payment system, or PPS, to ensure that FQHC's receive fair Medicaid reimbursement.…”