The text of the full petition is below:
TO: The PRESIDENT and CONGRESS of the United States:
Senator John Kerry
Congressman James P. McGovern
Community, Migrant, Public Housing, and Homeless Health Centers like Family Health Center of Worcester are currently the family doctor and health care home for nearly 23 million people in nearly 8,000 medically-underserved communities across the country. Yet, there are still 60 million people, including many with insurance who still do not have access to a regular source of health care. 37% of all health center patients; some 8.5 million people are covered by Medicaid. Health Centers treat 14% of all Medicaid patients-and they do it for only 1% of total Medicaid spending.
America’s Health Centers’ system of community-based health care homes has had a remarkable record of success over more than 45 years in providing quality health care and saving the entire health care system money. Health Centers like Family Health Center of Worcester are a necessary part of solving America’s health care crisis.
Therefore, we who have signed these tongue depressors as a symbol of the importance of community based health care, calling on Congress and the President to,
1) Oppose cuts in the Medicaid program including efforts to reduce or eliminate fair payment protections for Health Centers;
2) Increase Health Centers’ funding by $200 million in fiscal year 2012, toward the goal of allowing health centers to serve 40 million Americans by 2015