Albany Area Primary Health Care promotes ‘Fix the Cliff’ campaign

ALBANY — Officials at Albany Area Primary Health Care are urging legislators to fix the so-called “funding cliff” for a health center program, which AAPHC is a part of, before Saturday to avoid the program losing 70 percent of its funding.

AAPHC’s board, physicians and staff are among those pushing legislators to “Fix the Cliff” before the deadline. A lack of congressional action by Saturday, officials said, means that a cut of 70 percent to the program would take effect, meaning 2,800 clinic sites could close and 51,000 jobs could be lost nationwide, causing a significant reduction in health care access.

AAPHC officials said none of their clinics would be likely to close in the event the cliff occurs, but as many as 6,000 patients will be unable to afford care.

The roughly two dozen sites of AAPHC are defined as community health centers because they are “clinical practices of primary care providers available to provide medical care to all individuals without respect to socio-economic status.”

A community health center is located in an area where there is a Health Professional Shortage Area and Medically Underserved Area designation. In such areas, factors such as infant mortality rate, a high poverty rate and a larger percentage of elderly people are common.

“What are you doing to make sure this doesn’t become a reality? Take action NOW to #fixthecliff – lives are at stake,” a Facebook post from AAPHC directed at legislators reads. “AAPHC serves the uninsured and underinsured in over (seven) counties across Southwest Georgia. Please do not let these patients — your community members — down. #FixTheCliff and ensure they receive the health care they so greatly need.

“Your constituents have spoken, and we strongly urge you to #FixTheCliff before 9/30!”

AAPHC COO Clifton Bush said the organization currently receives $4.7 million in grant funding as a federally funded health center. The cliff would result in $3.3 million of that funding being lost.

“That is why we are doing a lot of advocacy to make sure that the cliff does not happen,” Bush said.

Given the financial stability of AAPHC, Bush said it is unlikely any of its clinics would close, but that there would need to be “redesigning,” which might result in elimination or reduction of some programs.

The 6,000 patients AAPHC would lose come out of those whose care is being compensated for by the grant funding due to their poverty standing.

“If we lose that funding, a lot of individuals that utilize this (would be unable to afford care),” Bush said

The AAPHC sites currently serve residents in Baker, Calhoun, Crisp, Dooly, Dougherty, Lee and Terrell counties. Advocates have taken to social media, and patients in AAPHC’s waiting rooms have been encouraged to contact their legislators.

“The patients we have talked to have been very receptive,” Bush said.

Advocates for the program are encouraging legislators to co-sponsor HR 3770, the CHIME Act, extending health center funding for five years. The alternatives are more temporary fixes that would continue funding until December, or for another two years.

“We are hoping for (the five-year fix),” Bush said. “In five years, we will be doing the same thing again.”

Bush said workers in the legislative offices that advocates have been contacting have so far given positive feedback.

The AAPHC is directing patients and community members to visit http://www.hcadvocacy.org/takeaction, and to also reach out to their legislators.