1382 
[DOCID: f:hr87ih.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 87

 To express the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 
 investment in programs that provide health care services to uninsured 
and low-income individuals in medically underserved areas be increased 
        in order to double access to care over the next 5 years.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 13, 2001

 Mr. Capuano (for himself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Fattah, Mr. 
  Sanders, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. 
 Norwood, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Hilliard, Mrs. Maloney of New 
 York, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Strickland, Ms. Lee, Mr. 
 Shimkus, Ms. Rivers, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Thompson of California, 
    Mr. Scott, Mr. Dooley of California, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Brady of 
   Pennsylvania, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Ehrlich, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Upton, Mrs. 
McCarthy of New York, Mr. Evans, Mr. Weller, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Meehan, 
Mr. Traficant, Mr. Ford, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Menendez, 
  Mr. Towns, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Hayworth, Mr. 
  Gonzalez, Mr. Clay, Mr. Frank, Mr. Deal of Georgia, Mr. Olver, Mr. 
 Filner, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Payne, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Phelps, 
Mr. McGovern, Mr. Berman, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, and Ms. Hooley of 
 Oregon) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 To express the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 
 investment in programs that provide health care services to uninsured 
and low-income individuals in medically underserved areas be increased 
        in order to double access to care over the next 5 years.

Whereas the uninsured population in the United States is approximately 
        43,000,000 and is estimated to reach over 53,000,000 people by 2007;
Whereas nearly 80 percent of the uninsured population are members of working 
        families who cannot afford health insurance or cannot access employer-
        provided health insurance plans;
Whereas minority populations, rural residents, and single-parent families 
        represent a disproportionate number of the uninsured population;
Whereas the problem of health care access for the uninsured population is 
        compounded in many urban and rural communities by a lack of providers 
        who are available to serve both insured and uninsured populations;
Whereas community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers have 
        proven uniquely qualified to address the lack of adequate health care 
        services for uninsured populations, serving over 4,900,000 uninsured 
        patients in 2000, including over 1,000,000 new uninsured patients who 
        have sought care from such centers in the last 3 years;
Whereas health centers care for about 12,000,000 patients, including nearly 
        8,000,000 minorities, nearly 650,000 farmworkers, and almost 600,000 
        homeless individuals each year;
Whereas health centers provide cost-effective comprehensive primary and 
        preventive care to uninsured individuals for less than $1.00 per day, or 
        $350 annually, and help to reduce the inappropriate use of costly 
        emergency rooms and inpatient hospital care;
Whereas current resources only allow health centers to serve more than 10 
        percent of the Nation's 43,000,000 uninsured individuals;
Whereas past investments to increase health center access have resulted in 
        better health, an improved quality of life for all Americans, and a 
        reduction in national health care expenditures;
Whereas Congress can act now to increase access to health care services for 
        uninsured and low-income people together with or in advance of health 
        care coverage proposals by expanding the availability of services at 
        community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers; and
Whereas the President has proposed to double the number of people served by 
        health centers: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This resolution may be cited as the ``Resolution to Expand Access 
to Community Health Centers (REACH) Initiative''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that appropriations 
for consolidated health centers under section 330 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b) should be increased by 100 percent over 5 
fiscal years, ending in 2006, in order to double the number of 
individuals who receive health care services at community, migrant, 
homeless, and public housing health centers.
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