Summary

Access to primary health care services for uninsured and underinsured individuals, particularly in rural areas and in inner cities throughout the state, remains limited for a variety of reasons, including the lack of available health care professionals.  Necessary supports may include provision of operating cost subsidies, subsidized malpractice insurance, transportation, or provision of mobile vans and/or tele-health equipment.

Conference Position

The Conference supports the establishment of a statewide program to enhance opportunities for primary care in rural and inner cities by combining the efforts of volunteer physicians and nurse practitioners with subsidies to cover operating and other costs.  An initial program can be established through the appropriation of funds to be provided on a grant basis to programs that propose to serve rural or inner city areas characterized by an undersupply of primary care providers.

Rationale

The nation’s and the state’s bishops have long held that access to appropriate health care is a basic right intrinsic to the dignity of the human person.  Despite the best of efforts in recent years to promote and enhance opportunities for adequate health care coverage for low- and moderate-income individuals, many of these individuals remain unable to obtain necessary primary care, particularly in rural and inner city areas.

A program to provide the necessary supports for physicians and nurse practitioners to provide free primary care to these individuals in these settings will enhance these individuals’ health for the benefit of themselves, their families and their communities.