by Imagine a San Diego where a farm worker does not receive TB treatment, a mother is unable to receive prenatal care, a diabetic fails to get necessary examinations, and a child is unable to receive immunizations because the only clinic they can afford has reduced services or shut down. The fact that Congress passed President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, H.R. 1, and cut Medicaid funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers like Vista Community Clinic means that this is not a hypothetical situation; rather, it is the actual outcome.
Community health centers are essential. At Vista Community Clinic, we provide care to tens of thousands of patients annually, many of whom depend on Medicaid to maintain their health, employment, and dignity. Our patients who rely on such coverage are over half. The situation is dire without it: fewer specialists, longer wait times, less access to specialized care, and sometimes even closed clinics.
What’s at risk
These reductions are more than just budgetary figures. They mean there is nowhere for the construction worker who depends on us for care of chronic injuries. Prenatal visits are lost for the young mother. The child does not receive necessary vaccinations. Additionally, the effects of patients losing care spread. Families deal with crippling medical bills, adults miss job, and children miss school.
Moral responsibility and sound economic judgment
Medicaid financing for community clinics is an investment in the health of the community, not just a medical expense. The strategy saves countless numbers of dollars in avoidable ER visits and avoidable hospital stays for every dollar invested on primary care through a clinic.
In Washington, Medicaid cuts can appear like a budgetary solution, but in North County San Diego, they will eventually result in higher prices. Employers will lose employees to untreated disease, hospitals will take on more uninsured patients, and local governments will witness a rise in the demand for social services.
There is a moral duty that goes beyond economics. People who can afford it shouldn’t be the only ones with access to health care. It is a fundamental human necessity. Community clinics have been the cornerstone of that promise for many years, providing excellent, culturally sensitive care to all patients, regardless of their financial situation. That promise could be broken by the Big Beautiful Bill.
An Urgent Appeal
I have witnessed the effectiveness of easily available care at Vista Community Clinic. I have witnessed patients enter with no other option and depart with healing, hope, and a strategy for a healthy future. Now that Congress is proceeding with these cuts, that is what is in jeopardy.
I implore our federal lawmakers and all others who cherish robust, healthy communities to reevaluate the Medicaid changes that have already been passed in H.R. 1. It is simple sense to protect financing for community clinics; it is not party politics. It guarantees that you can receive the treatment you require regardless of your identity, residence, or financial situation.
The impact of H.R. 1 in its current form will now be quantified in terms of missed opportunities, untreated illnesses, and disrupted lives. The ramifications are too real and the stakes are too great to keep quiet. For the sake of our patients, our communities, and the future of American healthcare, we must not stop advocating.
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In order to continue offering a comprehensive range of vital health services, such as adult medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral health, chiropractic care, acupuncture, diabetes management, communicable disease prevention and treatment, optometry, dental care, senior services, and transportation for patients in need, Vista Community Clinic may have to look to private donors for the first time since our founding in 1972.
Here is an overview of the Big Beautiful Bill’s potential effects on Vista Community Clinic for context:
-
Patients served by annually:
Approximately 70,000 -
Percent on Medicaid:
Over 65% -
Locations:
14 clinics in North County San Diego and Orange County -
Medicaid-dependent services at risk:
Prenatal care, diabetes management, behavioral health, preventive screenings, vaccinations -
Projected impact of H.R. 1:
Will result in service reductions affecting tens of thousands of local residents
Vista Community Clinic’s CEO is Fernando Saudo.
