NAFC Releases Statement on President’s 2018 Budget Proposal

Alexandria, VA, May 24, 2017 --

For Immediate Release

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC), whose mission is to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care, believes that President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget proposal does not put the country on a path towards building a healthy America.  The budget proposal, entitled “A New Foundation for American Greatness,” seeks $1.5 trillion in nondefense discretionary cuts and $1.4 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the course of a decade.

Given the President’s budget dramatically cuts billions of dollars in funding to Medicaid, $274 billion to anti-poverty programs, funding for cancer research, heart health, immunization programs, health professional programs, nursing training programs and rural health care, as well as provides limited funding for opioid treatment programs, repeals the Affordable Care Act, and eliminates the Corporation for National and Community Service, it is apparent that the budget as released does not align with the NAFC’s organizational beliefs with respect to health care reform.

“We urge Members of Congress to work across the aisle to ensure that important spending decisions put people over politics,” said Nicole Lamoureux, NAFC CEO. “It is our expectation that policy makers understand that people should not have to make the hard choice between putting food on the table and paying for their medication nor should they be expected to rely on emergency rooms as their primary care doctor’s office. People should not have to declare bankruptcy to pay for their medical bills and/or insurance premiums.” 

The NAFC remains ready to work with lawmakers to address the needs of the medically underserved throughout the country and to ensure that health care becomes more affordable and accessible for all Americans.

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About the Organization:

The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,200 Free and Charitable Clinics that serve them.  Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care and strives to be a national voice promoting quality health care for all.  The organization believes that access to health care should be a right, not a privilege, and it values volunteerism, community ownership, service and collaboration.

For more information about the NAFC, please visit www.nafcclinics.org. Follow the NAFC on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NAFClinics and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NAFCClinics. 

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f191be51-5e1c-46dd-95f6-dc5fe3d42aea

Kerry Thompson
National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
7036477427
[email protected]