A bill described as “critically important” by its sponsor would help fund health centers across the state, including the Bethel Family Health Center.
LD 969, sponsored by Sen. Roger Katz (R-Augusta) would provide $1.5 million a year in state funds for the next two years to aid the 19 federally-qualified health centers in Maine.
According to the bill, each center would receive $25,000 each year, with an additional $5,000 per year going those that are nationally certified for quality assurance. The BFHC would qualify for the additional funds, according to a spokesperson.
LD 969 is titled “An Act to Preserve Jobs and Primary Care Services in Rural and Underserved Areas of Maine.”
In his testimony before the Committee on Health and Human Services, Katz said the bill would “help cover the cost of care for the uninsured, underinsured and to assist in recruitment and retention of primary care professionals.”
He described the impact to the health centers of cuts in MaineCare and Maine’s choice not to expand Medicaid:
“It is a fact that MaineCare eligibility has been cut by tens of thousands over the last few years. It is also a fact that Maine has not passed a bill to accept the federal funds to expand the program. And, whether you support that decision or not, it is also a fact that these decisions have had adverse financial consequences for Maine’s FQHCs and the patients they serve. Many of the individuals impacted by these two policy decisions are patients of the FQHCs. When they lost MaineCare and became uninsured, the FQHCs simultaneously lost the fairer rate of reimbursement for providing care to them.
“As you know, the FQHCs serve all individuals in their service areas, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. They don’t have the ability to pick and choose which patients they will see to help manage their budgets. If we choose not to support the FQHCs and some of them are eventually forced to close, their patients will end up in the Emergency Departments across Maine driving up the cost of health care.”
Also testifying was HealthReach Community Health Centers’ President/CEO Connie Coggins. The BFHC is a member of HealthReach.
She said LD 969 “would help some of our members prevent reductions or eliminations of services that our communities have come to depend on.”
State Rep. Fran Head (R-Bethel) is a member of the Health and Human Services Committee. In the committee’s April 16 vote on a recommendation for LD 969 to the full Legislature, Head voted “ought to pass.”
Said Head, “Community Health Centers provide affordable access to primary care, behavioral and dental health services to families all over Maine. While I am proud of the work of these providers, there are still too many uninsured and underinsured patients who will benefit from expanded services—and that is why I supported LD 969.
“It is also worth pointing out that health centers, like the one here in Bethel, provide jobs with benefits for the area. I believe that passage of this bill will lay the foundation we need to prioritize rural access to high quality medical services.”
That drew praise from Coggins:
“This important legislation will help to strengthen and support our local Community Health Center so that we can continue to provide the high quality, comprehensive primary care services that our patients and the residents of the Bethel area depend on. Representative Head understands and appreciates the critical role we play in the local economy and in providing affordable access to patient-centered health care to anyone who walks through our doors. We thank her for her leadership in voting in favor of this bill.”
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