Spokane7
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December 2, 2010 in City
Wash. state suspending grants to community clinics
Cuts affect health coverage for the uninsured
Washington state is suspending grants that enable community clinics to provide health care to about 300,000 uninsured patients.
Suspension of the program was announced this week by the Washington State Health Care Authority as part of across-the-board reductions in state spending. The change takes effect Jan. 1 and will affect about a third of the 900,000 people who visit 214 Community Health Services clinics throughout the state.
The Community Health Association of Spokane will lose half of its annual $569,000 grant, affecting about 14,000 uninsured patients or 40 percent of its 34,000 clients.
“It is unlikely CHAS will be able to weather this latest round of cuts and be able to maintain its current service levels,” said CHAS Chief Operating Officer Aaron Wilson.
The grants — part of a state program that has supported Community Health Services since 1985 — provide dental and medical care on a sliding scale to working people who cannot afford insurance but earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.
The program suspension halfway through the fiscal year, which ends June 30, will save the state about $5.3 million.
“It is the safety net’s safety net,” said Toni Lodge, director of NATIVE Health in Spokane, which will lose about half of its annual grant of $86,000.
“It’s probably the most effective preventative grant,” Lodge said. “It keeps people out of the ER.”
Also affected are the Spokane Falls Family Clinic, the Northeast Washington Health Programs and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
The cuts come at a time when demand for services for low-income clients at community health centers is at an all-time high.
In 2009, according to the Community Health Network of Washington, the clinics served 34,000 more uninsured patients than the previous year, a 17 percent increase.
Earlier this fall, the state announced plans to cut Medicaid programs to achieve nearly $113 million in savings through June in the federal and state health insurance program for the poor.
However, at least one Medicaid service appears to have been spared the budget ax.
The proposed elimination of hospice coverage was overturned this week by Gov. Chris Gregoire, who said the cut would be a hardship on clients and their families, and probably would not achieve the projected savings anyway.
Rights panel poorly understood 
zelda on December 02 at 6:52 p.m.
Are there alternatives funding sources for CHAS? This is brutal news. Not entirely shocking but there will be a lot of suffering and pain because of this.
healinhand on December 02 at 7:18 p.m.
Get rid of Gov. Chris Gregoire, use this money to pay for it. She couldn`t balance a budget if her lfe depended on it.
hawken on December 02 at 7:29 p.m.
I simply do not trust the priorities that are being established by state government, the Governor and the lame duck legislature.
Zelda… I agree.
As far as I’m concerned, knowing what I know to date…. the obese state employee unions along with their absurd salaries and benefits, should be cut back to make up for the uninsured and monies needed by CHAS.
Or, how about the Washington Dept of Social and Health Services? Or any number of other large, WA state departments of state government?
I’m confident there are other options as well.
However, by cutting the most vulnerable, makes for great, emotional, headlines to rally all of those whom want no cuts at all.
I’ll bet a steak dinner, that you and I could go through the WA state budget and find a way to fund CHAS.
Here’s the qualifier: CHAS likewise, needs to validate their actual budget needs. Giving “blind grants” to CHAS is and should be a thing of the past.
PhiltheBibliophil on December 02 at 7:53 p.m.
Are any of the state, county, city employees cutting their salaries and benefits to equal private sector jobs for the equal positions? Of course not. Instead we cut services for our most vulnerable. TI have lived in many different states and a number of foreign countires. I strongly suggest that this is one of the most corrupt, mismanaged states in America! These dear leaders are nothing more than scum, sucking bottom feeders who only care about themselves. Hope your indigent Grandmother doesn’t die tonite!
Gato on December 02 at 8:02 p.m.
It’s a cruel populace that bails out the soda pop industry, protects millionaires from taxes, then, when the most vulnerable are in trouble, spews bile so they won’t have to face reality.
Perhaps some of the people here should actually look at the budget, see that revenues have fallen, and figure out the most humane, and — dare I say — Christian, way of handling the problem. That might be better than spurious finger-pointing and gratuitous insults.
opiemuyo on December 02 at 8:05 p.m.
Wow, I guess you should not depend on the government for your health care. Is there a lesson here? It is really unfortunate we have created a culture of dependency such as this and it makes the suffering of the most poorest especially sharp, while I am sure we can find a way to cut 5.3 million. Perhaps we could start with feeding all those convicts baloney sandwich for lunch and no more coffee and TV. Make prison someplace unpleasant.
greenlibertarian on December 02 at 8:16 p.m.
I knew they’d back off on cutting Hospice, utterly penny-wise and pound foolish.
I’d like to know how much this cut is in comparison to CHAS’s total budget, however, I do know they do good work providing reasonable, coordinated health care to mostly lower-income working families. If those folk end up in the ER, that’s going to cost a lot more money to provide care in the ER.
CHAS has spent about $$450k of Recovery Act funds on patient care, and about $550K (of $1.2M granted under the Recovery Act) on clinic infrastructure expansion and improvements.
lowtechmaster on December 02 at 8:17 p.m.
DISGUSTING! Cut the old, the young, the poor, the ill, BUT do not cut the bloated state employees! Has ANY state employee union agreed to any cuts at all???? Have they been asked?? If not, why not????
SugarShane on December 02 at 8:28 p.m.
Dont forget repubs want to extend those precious tax cuts for the wealthy, because we all know they deserve them.
greenlibertarian on December 02 at 8:44 p.m.
I also believe we may seeing a familiar ruse pulled off by both sides of the aisle from time to time. In times of funding shortfalls, Dems threaten to cut back social services for the poor, and Repubs threaten to cut military spending, or “shut down the government”. It’s an emotional plea to the respective camps, but is intellectually unsound.
lewis8457 on December 02 at 8:54 p.m.
Sure cut more for the poor but keep the 3.5 million the state spends to make movies.
The people making theses cuts have golden health insurance what do they care?
Make all state employees pay 100% of their health insurance premium. There that is a bit fairer. Why do I go with out while I help pay for their insurance?
D Statler on December 02 at 9:41 p.m.
I see and hear alot of sarcasm about state employee benefits. I can only say that twenty years ago,Private sector employers felt it was their obligation to provide health coverage to it’s employees and families. Now the rich pigs keep everything for themselves. Don’t blame state workers because you and alot of others choose to cross picket lines and break the very unions that for years created and maintained the middle class American JOBS with benefits. I am a state employee and have given two days pay and have forgone any pay increases for the last two years. My insurance co-pays have increased just like everyone elses. We tighten our belts everyday! There are still JOBS with benefits available if you are a good worker with good work ethics.Looking for work is work. Laying around waiting for your next un employment check just compounds the problem.
ps. Next you republican puppets will pass a right to work law in Washington so we can drop lower into poverty like our Idaho neighbors.
monarch on December 02 at 10:11 p.m.
Why are people attacking other middle class workers, asking them to take more cuts, in order to pay for this program? It’s the rich that are making out like bandits in this economy. In the last 10 years it’s only the top 5 percent who have seen a real growth in their wealth, The rest of us have lost ground. Tax the people who can afford it to pay for these vital programs that save lives.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 02 at 10:59 p.m.
Let’s not get carried away. State unions take a 20% cut and fund their own pensions ans the money for other programs return. It’s that easy. What’s the matter all you union boys??? Don’t wanna help the poor and those who need? I guess their state donation appetites only go so far….like if it’s THEM on the receiving end.
Lots needs to be cut..both in programs and in bloated salaries. Unions cannot have it both ways. We pay for them. We don’t need to pay for all of them and their crazy benfits. Gregoire grows a spine, she can rid the state of those foul unions and keep the workers funded….plus have money left over.
ditaylor on December 03 at 12:10 a.m.
I am appalled & disgusted as health care is treated as a commodity rather than a basic human need. Please do not equate human need with free health care. Health care products and services are a commodity. I fail to understand is how both state and federal government continue not to prioritize spending.
The health insurance & pharmaceutical corporations are bound by a corporate law to be accountable only to their bottom line — the shareholders. Several of these corporations have numerous socially responsible violations. They apparently don’t take their bottom line into consideration when they are assessed massive fines – just the cost of doing business.
Pfizer alone contributed $25 million in 2010 to lobby health care reform. Why did they contribute that amount, a spokesman for Pfizer said the company “wanted to make sure our voice is heard in this conversation.” This statement is chilling.
The various ‘special pet projects’ that our ‘elected officials’ deem worthy of excessive expenditures are despicable. YET, we cannot seem to streamline and simplify a basic need for humanity…quality, accessible & affordable health care.
We have several public health plans which have been subject of massive fraud with barely a raised eyebrow & prosecution, let alone reform. The 8th amendment guarantees prisoners basic health care, while law abiding citizens continue to go without. Due to The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act passed in 1986, our emergency rooms are ruled by a mandated yet unfunded law – it is part of the problem. The list continues of egregious problems, yet our government & elected officials continue to cry ‘no money.’ Yes, there is NEVER enough money UNLESS you take some responsibility with accountability, streamline, simplify & prioritize the budget. YET, there is a problem with such a simple plan — transparency. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. The senseless waste within our daily expenditures is appalling.
It truly is unconscionable that we continue to allow health care to take a back seat to far less important expenditures. Common decency & basic human dignity with quality, accessible & affordable health care for the citizens of the US are not difficult & unachievable goals.
The book “Third World America” & the documentary “The Corporation” provide a good introductory insight to a lot of problems. The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act is not the cure all – it really is not even a decent attempt for health care reform – remember the health and drug companies were part of the crafting & designing the act. Health care reform – what are we seeing now– ‘warm fuzzy news’ in regards to that ‘quality, accessible & affordable’ health care President Obama has been marketing.
My family is blessed (for now) to have affordable health care insurance which encompasses health, dental & vision. Our portion of the premium does stretch our budget, but then again a major illness would have crippled us & perhaps set us into financial ruin. Health insurance is essential to financial health in the long run, but not when it is out of range of many household budgets. What makes our family any better or more deserving than the person on the street without health insurance– NOT ONE thing. We can argue all we want about working, non-working, responsible, non-responsible behavior & all the other arguments put on the table, but one way or another we pay for other people’s medical needs in some capacity or another (taxes, higher fees to cover those that can’t pay anyway e.g., the aforementioned Emergency Room issue – please just keep in mind – any one of us are just a layoff, an accident or an unexpected illness away from needing health care at some point in our lives. While health care is a basic human need, it does not come without a price, it should not be at the expense of opaque business practices that are hidden between the pages of accountability & responsibility.
lewis8457 on December 03 at 7:55 a.m.
If you work for the State you better listen up your not the only ones working. But you have benefits i can’t get in private sector so when push comes to shove i will vote to take away every benefit you have that i don’t.
Why because your job and benefits are paid through taxes I pay.
My employer recently cut some of our benefits, what is good for me is also good for you.
Don’t like it get a private sector job and learn what real work is.
As for the unpaid days off. At least they give them to you on a Monday or Friday so you have along weekend. In the private sector they would make you take it mid week.
I always get a laugh when we talk about the union workers they have to tell us we are all lazy bums. But without us lazy bums paying taxes they wouldn’t even have a job.
kemme1312 on May 14 at 8:42 a.m.
Im curious to know,that while our govenor is making the choice as to the standard of care that is provided to us who are in need,then who is governing our state,while she is playing doctor,cause i know in my case the scale is being turned,and the cost is going to be more than should be let alone the punishment one should endure,after all they are politicians not physicians.