PHOENIX — The drumbeat in the U.S. House of Representatives to reduce federal spending is being heard close to home, as federal cuts of more than $1 billion have been proposed for Community Health Centers. For Arizona, it would mean the loss of more than $3 million.
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“These are communities where there are whole swaths of people — and in rural America, it’s often the whole community — that simply don’t have other available sources of care.â€
The federal funding reductions would also result in lost jobs — with at least 130 Arizona positions on the chopping block, according to Hawkins.
“Health centers are major employers and often, in rural communities, the largest employer.â€
Community Health Centers provide care on a sliding-fee scale, and accept patients with or without insurance, as well as those on Medicaid or Medicare. Nationally, it is estimated that more than 100 centers would have to close if the funding cuts are approved.
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