Health Safety Net Legislative Day 2010

The health care safety net is the only source of medical care

for more than 1 million Virginians -- and the number is climbing

every day.

Virginia’s free clinics and community health centers provided care to over 162,000 uninsured Virginians last year.
A record breaking 52% of all new patients (38,239) at Virginia’s community health centers were uninsured in 2009.
Free clinics have been deluged with 18,600 new patients in the past six months. They have had to turn 40% of them away.
Waiting lists run 2-6 months. Some clinics have weekly lotteries to determine which new patients will be treated.
Most new patients have lost health insurance and/or jobs due to the recession.

In 2009, Virginia's free clinics, community health centers and the Virginia Health Care Foundation provided a 25:1 return on investment for the state funds they received.   Virginia cannot afford to further cut its safety net support:

Free clinics use 10,500+ volunteers to provide $6 in health care for every $1 spent.
Community health centers provide 1,334 full-time jobs, with a direct economic impact of $68.3 million (annual payroll).
The Virginia Health Care Foundation generates over $11 in cash, health services and other in-kind contributions for every $1 expended.
Virginia Health Care Foundation grants funded 26 doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners and mental health professionals who treated health safety net patients via 56,000 visits in 2009.

On January 20th, more than 120 representatives from Virginia's free clinics, community health centers and the

Virginia Health Care Foundation met with their delegates, senators and aides to raise awareness of the value of the health safety net and the skyrocketing demand for services.

The Virginia Health Care Foundation, Virginia Association of Free Clinics and Virginia Community Healthcare Association would like to express their gratitude to PhRMA for sponsoring the day's events.   They also thank Senator Edd Houck (D, Spotsylvania) and Delegate Harvey Morgan (R, 98th) for their remarks on the Senate and House floors officially recognizing the members of the health safety net participating in Legislative Day.

Two articles related to the need for health safety net funding and the 2010 legislative day initiative appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in January 2010.  Read summaries of those articles and get links to the full text at VHCF's News and Events web page.

Legislative Day is a joint effort of the Virginia Health Care Foundation, the Virginia Community Healthcare Association and the Virginia Association of Free Clinics and is sponsored by PhRMA.