TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Some of Florida's community health care leadership traveled to the capitol Tuesday, asking the state for continued funding to keep their clinics in business.
According to supporters, small community-based health centers provide care to more than 1.3 million Floridians annually, at over 450 locations.
About one-third of these patients are uninsured, and more than 40 percent are enrolled in medicaid.
With changes and uncertainty surrounding the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act, community health center supporters say it is important to make lawmakers aware of the services provided to under served populations.
Speaking at a news conference inside the capitol, Republican State Senator Aaron Bean said more federal funding is needed, regardless of what happens with Obamacare.
"What is truly amazing is how much they do with how little they are given. That is just what they do," said State Sen. Aaron Bean, R- Fernandina Beach. "I don't think that they know anything different, other than to take care of Floridians that are in need."
Bean says New York, which has almost the same population as Florida, receives about ten times the amount of federal funding as the Sunshine State.
