June 10th, 2009

Announces a press release from Rep. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks):

To help ensure that people who have no insurance or who are underinsured can better access health care services, Rep. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks/144), co-chairman of the House Republican Health Care Task Force, has introduced legislation that will redirect state health care funding to community-based health care clinics.

“The network of community-based clinics offers a medical home to thousands of residents across Pennsylvania, especially in medically underserved areas,” Watson said. “Instead of creating a new system for health care or expanding a program that may not meet the state’s needs, this legislation focuses on the successes within the health care community and allows them to grow and serve more people.”

House Bill 1626 will offer grants to community-based health care clinics as a way to collaborate with local resources and help reduce the unnecessary use of hospital emergency departments.

The grant program will be funded by a portion of the revenue collected annually from the state’s cigarette tax in an effort to expand or develop health care services, with a focus on preventive care and chronic care including disease management.

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In order to distribute state resources as widely as possible, House Bill 1626 precludes care providers that are receiving federal stimulus money from receiving these grants during the years they have access to stimulus funds. Those providers that are eligible will need to secure matching funds of at least 25 percent of revenue raised locally to further augment this new infusion of dollars.

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Additionally, the bill creates a demonstration project of “Mom Mobiles” to fund prenatal, obstetric, postpartum and newborn care for individuals on a mobile basis. Four projects will be funded in rural, suburban and urban settings, and will target an area where the ratio of OB/GYN providers to patients is poor.

The bill also requires studies to ensure that the program’s goals are being met.

Community-based health centers serve populations with limited access to health care and offer comprehensive primary health care services as well as supportive services — education, translation and transportation, etc. — that promote access to health care. Services are available to all with fees adjusted based on ability to pay. In 2006, nearly 37 percent of patients were children age 19 and younger. About 7 percent were age 65 and older.