Originally published on AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Venice Family Clinic CEO Mitesh Popat, MD appeared on LAist 89.3’s “AirTalk with Larry Mantle” to discuss how the end of Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies will impact patients and community health centers.
“We’re bracing ourselves in more ways than one,” Popat said.
The end of enhanced ACA subsidies is making health insurance more expensive for large portions of the population. Without health insurance, patients turn to the community health centers that offer care either for free care or at a sliding cost based on income – including Venice Family Clinic.
This will likely mean Venice Family Clinic will serve more patients in need, fewer of whom have insurance coverage.
At the same time, substantial funding cuts to health centers loom from federal and state governments.
“It’s going to be at a moment when we have less and less to try to take care of more and more of our most vulnerable people in our communities in Los Angeles,” Popat said.
While much of the full impact of these changes to health insurance coverage and clinic funding is still unknown, Venice Family Clinic is prepared to face the challenges.
Click play on the video above for more information on how we at Venice Family Clinic are readying ourselves to care for patients and staff in this time of great need.