After ducking the nation's health care crisis for many years, Congress finally stands on the verge of passing comprehensive health reform. Each of several bills on the table would build on our existing public-private system to bring us much closer to making comprehensive, high-quality health care available to all Americans.
Maryland is the wealthiest state in the nation. Yet almost one in five residents is uninsured or underinsured, and many more are just one medical bill from bankruptcy or foreclosure. It's a crisis that hits women and rural Marylanders especially hard.
The federal government has designated Kent County a severe shortage area for health professionals. Caroline and Dorchester counties have among the highest rates of premature death from heart disease, cancer and stroke in the state.
Where do Marylanders in need turn for health care? Sadly, their safety net is a weakened public health system. Local health departments have seen their state funding for core services slashed by nearly half in recent months. Even the budget for the state's Wellmobile has been cut in half; its mobile clinic will now help thousands fewer Marylanders each year. These cuts are forcing local clinics to reduce or eliminate such vital services as immunizations for children, family planning services and cancer screenings. In the months to come, Gov. Martin O'Malley must find the funds to restore some of these services. But in the longer term, comprehensive federal health reform offers the only real solution to the crisis. By making more people eligible for Medicaid and providing subsidies to help low- and middle-income Marylanders pay for health insurance, the reform bills would finally put a real dent in the number of uninsured.
The bills also offer immediate help to our troubled public health system. The House bill includes a $34 billion Public Health Investment Fund and authorizes a $12 billion federal investment in community health centers over the next five years. It would also establish a program of primary-care residencies in community health care centers and a new grant program to support community-based wellness services.
