Congress creates new health care crisis for 26 million Americans
Last fall, Kim Wagenaar started to plan how she would close the health clinic she runs in rural North Carolina — when Congress let funding lapse for thousands of centers like hers 124 days ago and counting.
The Cabarrus Rowan Community Health Center offers primary care services to patients, largely uninsured and unable to afford visits elsewhere.Its four buildings, scattered across suburban Charlotte and more rural areas to the north, do not suffer from low demand. They saw more than 8,000 patients last year alone.
“I’m usually a very optimistic person,” Wagenaar says. “I always feel like the community health centers have great support. But I’ll be honest, this is the first time I’m not 100 percent sure this will get fixed.”
Nationally, millions of Americans visit community health centers each year. An estimate from 2016 found the 2,000 centers provided care to 26.5 million people. They rely heavily on federal funds that have passed with bipartisan support in recent decades. George W. Bush expanded the program, and the Affordable Care Act made another big investment in them.
But this fall, the $3.6 billion budget lapsed at the same time as the Children’s Health Insurance Program. CHIP, which provides coverage to millions of poor children, just got its funding back in late January. But community health centers were not included in the deal.
Legislators from both parties have said they want to extend the health centers’ budget. But so far, they haven’t. If they don’t do it very soon, health care access will decline for potentially millions of vulnerable Americans.
Bush and Obama were both advocates
Community health centers began as a tiny experiment in Mississippi and Massachusetts in the 1960s, a small element of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/healthcare/congress-creates-new-health-care-crisis-for-26-million-americans/ar-BBIBzTi?li=BBnbfcN&ocid=mailsignout
= new reply since forum marked as read
Cannot find a doctor even w/insurance as I am disabled and on Medicare. They only place that would take me is the local Community Health Center. I was there last week and they gave me enough medications to last for SIX months. Since when?
so far.
I have no illusions that I won't be next in line.
Did these bastards fund it?
This is a BIG problem!
The person I see is a nurse practitioner! You cannot see a doctor unless you announce out load the word DOCTOR & a real M.D. must see you but ... the nurse hates you for doing that. So, you do nothing because you are sick, poor & powerless!
and yes, I would like to see a neurologist. I was given a referral and the local neuro said NO. Period.
I receive mediocre care at best. 
Rural rural rural California where the sun don't shine very much.
Lots of people that live here have MS due to the climate.
They are in the same boat.
I should not complain.
The last support group meeting there was a young woman (reminded me of myself at that age) that was told she could no longer work due to the MS. She was well-dressed and looked "just fine" as so many of "us" do. She could not get an appt. with the neuro either and wow, she needs one to get her SSDI not that he will necessarily help! My friend went to him and he would not give her a disabled placard for parking! 
Damn them! Damn these rich greedy pigs! I hope they rot in 'effin hell!
