Midstate health center warns it would have to cut services under Senate health care plan

(Harrisburg) — Impacts of the Senate GOP health care plan are becoming more clear.

If it passes, a Dauphin County health center that serves more than 30,000 people a year says it would have to consider ending some services.

Republicans in the Senate want to cut Medicaid funding starting in 2021, and down the road, set a per-person spending limit.

Experts say the changes would impact hundreds of thousands of people in Pennsylvania – from those with disabilities, to children and adults working in low-wage jobs.

At Hamilton Health Center in Harrisburg, Medicaid expansion has helped hundreds of people get health care. Located in Harrisburg’s south Allison Hill neighborhood, it provides pediatric and adult care, as well as dental services.

CEO Jeannine Peterson says its seeing half as many uninsured patients as it did before the Affordable Care Act.

So she notes the cuts in the Senate proposal are very concerning.

“I just don’t know where people will get the help. That’s not going to just affect the Centers of Excellence [treatment services for people addicted to opioids], it will affect the drug and alcohol system in general, that’s going to affect the medical services in general, just across the board,” says Peterson.

Peterson says Hamilton sees patients from Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties.

“If things change dramatically, not only will we lose the Centers of Excellence, we’re going to lose a lot of the medical services that exist here for low-income populations,” she adds.

Republicans – led by Pennsylvania US Senator Pat Toomey – say without changes, Medicaid spending could escalate so much it would squeeze out other federal programs.