Most importantly, from a financial point of view, by treating people when they should be treated, we can save billions by keeping patients away from emergency rooms and expensive hospitalizations. In fact, community health centers are estimated to cut the United States’ health care spending by between $10 billion and $18 billion annually through reduced emergency and specialty care. It’s not often that we are presented such a win-win situation – a program that meets critical needs while reducing overall health care expenditures by more than it costs.
Hand in hand with expanding health centers, we also must train the next generation of primary care providers needed to staff them. Already, fewer and fewer students are going into primary care professions, and this trend is only worsening at a time when we need them most. That is why a major investment in the National Health Service Corps and other health profession education programs is necessary in order to restore the supply of primary care providers.
At a time when the middle class is in rapid decline, the United States must guarantee health care for all. A major expansion of the community health care program would be an important step forward in that direction.
Senator Sanders is a member of the Senate health committee.
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