Health Center Partners and Peer Organizations Share Economic Impact of the Affordable Care Act at Press Conference

SAN DIEGO, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Center Partners, a premier consortium of primary care organizations in Southern California, today hosted a press conference in conjunction with health and service organizations as part of a statewide initiative to celebrate the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the anniversary of its signing seven years ago. In addition to sharing regional data released today in an Economic Impact report commissioned by Health Center Partners, statewide data was also presented from the Capital Link reports commissioned by all California health centers and supported by a grant from the Blue Shield Foundation. The press conference was held at Health Center Partners member center, San Diego Family Care, and event speakers included representatives from Health Center Partners, Legal Aid Society of San Diego and San Diegans for Healthcare Coverage and three patients who have been directly affected by the ACA.

"Our seventeen member health centers are vital economic drivers in their communities, employing over 9,000 jobs locally," said Henry Tuttle, president and CEO of Health Center Partners. "In addition to providing access to affordable, quality health care for all, community health centers in our network generate $1.2 billion each year in economic impact to the Southern California region."

In his press conference address, Tuttle highlighted the importance of continuing patient protection laws under the ACA such as Medicaid Expansion, noting that community health centers serve one in five Medicaid patients at less than three cents on the dollar. Other speakers at the conference presented data demonstrating how specific components of the ACA like Covered California, senior care and grant funding, have supported community health centers and in turn improved access to quality health care for the most vulnerable and underserved individuals in the state. Those who spoke at the press conference included:

• Henry Tuttle, President and CEO, Health Center Partners
• Gregory Knoll, Executive Director, Chief Counsel, Legal Aid Society of San Diego
• Jan Spencley, Executive Director, San Diegans for Healthcare Coverage
• Jamie Street, Andrew Tenn and Kathleen Conway; patients who have benefitted from health care received under the ACA

"We have improved the health and access to care of so many San Diegans through the Affordable Care Act; it is working in California and each year we have seen dramatic advances," said Jan Spencley, executive director at San Diegans for Healthcare Coverage. "A lack of meaningful, affordable health coverage is the most significant barrier to timely access to prevention and early intervention. Any new proposal must build on what we have achieved to provide these vital services." 

A portion of the data presented at the press conference was commissioned as part of a statewide Capital Link Report, titled, "Value of Community Health Centers Today and Tomorrow," which highlights the impact health centers have on the economy, savings to the health system and access to care for vulnerable populations. Among other data collected from community health centers throughout California, data from the Health Center Partners consortia included:

• 14 percent of the economic impact for the entire state ($1.17 billion of $8.23 billion)
• 15 percent of total jobs (9,068 of 59,909)
• 21 percent of total savings to Medi-Cal ($1.2 billion of $5.5 billion in savings)

"Capital Link demonstrates that in addition to providing quality health care to one in seven Californians, community health centers are an $8.2 billion economic engine that supports nearly 60,000 good jobs across the state," said Carmela Castellano-Garcia, president and CEO of the California Primary Care Association. "Quality health care and quality jobs—that's a win-win for California."

As an advocate for community health centers and healthcare policy that increases access to quality care for all, executives from Health Center Partners will be meeting with legislators in Washington D.C. to discuss the implications of the proposed American Health Care Act and its direct impact on the nation's most vulnerable populations.

For more information on the Capital Link report, please visit http://hcpsocal.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Value-EIA-HCPSC-2015-HCP-Consortia.pdf.

For more information on Health Center Partners, please visit www.hcpsocal.org.

About Health Center Partners of Southern California
Health Center Partners and its subsidiaries serve as the nexus for its members and partners to transform primary care through the power of innovation and collaboration. Our health policy, public affairs and advocacy efforts enhance the development of and recognition for our members who enrich the patient experience and improve the human condition through access to quality health care and related services for their diverse communities, with an emphasis on low-income and uninsured populations. For more information, visit www.hcpsocal.org.

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SOURCE Health Center Partners of Southern California