After a rare weekend session and a meeting with President Obama, the Senate on Monday resumed debate on health care reform legislation.  Senator Bernie Sanders went to the Senate floor to talk about his proposal to dramatically expand community health centers. The centers provide affordable primary medical and dental care, mental health counseling and low-cost prescription drugs.  Senators Tom Harkin, the chairman of the Senate health committee, and Senator Mike Enzi, the ranking Republican on the panel, joined Sanders in supporting health centers. Sanders also wants to attract more medical students into family practices that provide the primary care that saves money in the long run by treating patients before they end up in hospital emergency rooms.  “There are 60 million people today in America who have insurance but  don't have access  to a physician on a regular basis…So we need to substantially improve   access to health care, and when we improve access, we save  money because people get treated and do not go to the emergency room, they do not end up in the hospital sicker than they otherwise would  have been.”

In Vermont, there are now eight Federally Qualified Health Centers that provide primary care for more than 100,000 patients.

Community health centers offer comprehensive services including prenatal care, childhood immunizations and cancer screenings. Open to everyone, the centers care for patients covered by Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance as well as those who have no insurance. Based on income and family size, discounted fees are available to those who qualify.

To watch Senators Sanders, Harkin and Enzi discuss the benefits of community health centers, click here.

To read pros and cons of the Senate health care legislation, click here.

To read about some of Sanders’ proposed amendments, click here.