By: NACHC Staff

The Wausau Daily Herald ran an op-ed from Laura Scudiere of Bridge Community Health Clinic on the value of health centers in the context of the stimulus.

In Wisconsin, our 17 health centers treated almost 225,000 people last year, two-thirds of whom were completely uninsured or underinsured as Medicaid or Medicare recipients.

Our presence in Wausau means fewer people crowding the hospitals’ ERs, where the cost of care is more expensive. If we are able to treat people before they get sick, we can save money as well as lives. A recent study by George Washington University revealed that if health centers were expanded to accommodate an additional 20 million patients, the health care system would save $212 billion over the next decade.

Federal investment in our nation’s health centers has shown in just one year what could be accomplished with longer-term health reform. Access to primary care must be part of the prescription.