Senator Sanders is trying to obtain more funding of public health clinics in order to make the health care bill more acceptable. While this is an admirable goal, it will not resolve the deficiencies in the bill. I have lived in more than one state, and I can describe the service in public health clinics in three states. I would like to see others post comments describing their experience with the fees and services in their states.
[I am aware that there are people on this forum who act as critics and attack diarists for writing diarists that are not long or that do not contain pages of research, but (1) America has freedom of speech, (2) I was always taught that brevity was a virtue, and (3) I have other responsibilities and can't spend all of my time on research for diaries. So, yes this is a short diary and I not not accept being attacked over that.]
In the state where I reside there is a system of public health clinics. But unless a person is at the rock bottom poverty level the fees are prohibitive. A person earning $1600 per month is considered too far above the poverty level, for example, and is charged $75 per office visit.
In one former state there is a system of functioning public health clinics charging reasonable rates, but they are very overloaded.
In another former state there seemed to be no public or community health clinics whatsoever, at least in the middle class areas where I lived.