LIMA — A bill that once increased health center appropriations all across America has recently come to an end and has healthcare providers and patients concerned.
In 2010, Congress created the $7.2 billion Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), established through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as a source of funding for health center operations between fiscal years 2011 and 2017, according to EveryCRSReport.com.
Between fiscal year 2015 and 2016, the CHCF made up 70% of health center funding. However, on Sept. 30, 2017 the funding expired and has left more than 1,400 health centers concerned about possible cuts, according to National Association of Community Health Centers.
Over the past six years, the bill helped cover family care, counseling, dental care and medication for low income and uninsured patients, like Jason Lamb, 46, of Lima.
Throughout his life, Lamb has struggled with a drug addiction and in the past had sought help from several mental institutions, hospitals and rehabilitation centers without success. As a homeless man, one of his biggest challenges was affording the insurance to receive those services.
It was not until he began receiving services at the Health Partners of Western Ohio’s Health Partners Quick-Care location that his life changed for the better. He no longer had to struggle to pay for insurance and received assistance that he said to this day is grateful for.
“I’ve never had anywhere — especially a doctors office — that has treated me fairly and treated me as a human,” he said. “I would be dead if it wasn’t for them. They help me with that and I have absolutely nothing but respect for them.”
Since receiving services at the health center he is now 9 months clean and said he is loving life and is happy. He cannot fathom what life would be like without the CHCF.
Between its three locations in Lima, Health Partners of Western Ohio provide services to approximately 300 patients a day, according to Chief Executive Officer Janis Sunderhaus. In 2017, there were approximately 144,000 visits between all 13 Health Partners of Western Ohio sites in northwest Ohio.
Forty percent of the patients are below the age of 18, and another large group is senior citizens who have Medicare but do not have enough money for their medication. Sunderhaus acknowledged that the funding cut will have a negative impact on the lives of various families in the region.
Although funding for Health Partners of Western Ohio is secured until the end of March, the company could potentially lose $3.5 million dollars in funding in April.
If they lose the funding, Sunderhaus said that the company may have to cut services like assistance with lab bills, medication, medical, dental and behavioral services. This is why she is calling on the community to come together and voice their opinions to Congress and express the importance of extending the funding.
“It’s not a debate whether its quality care or good use of funds, because it is,” said Sunderhaus. “It’s just that we are fighting so much talking about a wall and military expenses, but we don’t talk about the people in their day-to-day lives. We are encouraging that common sense comes forward and we encourage the people in Washington to put aside some of their differences to make sure that some of these solid programs get funded.”
Reach Camri Nelson at 567-242-0456 or on Twitter @CamriNews.
