Burlington, NJ – In the wake of the latest failed Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, today U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) was joined by Assemblymen Troy Singleton and Herb Conaway (both LD-07) for a roundtable discussion at Southern Jersey Family Medical Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Burlington, with healthcare professionals and New Jerseyans who were in jeopardy of losing their health coverage as a result of Republican efforts to repeal the ACA.  The discussion focused on the need to strengthen the ACA, fortify Medicaid and protect critical programs like FQHC’s in order to expand access to quality, affordable coverage for all Americans. 

“This week we witnessed a victory in the healthcare fight for patients, caregivers, and physicians, but the fight isn’t over,” said Sen. Booker. “We must work together now to ensure that each American has the right to affordable health care through improving and expanding upon the progress made by the Affordable Care Act.  Today was a great opportunity to hear concerns from the people closest to New Jersey’s health care system, including those on the front lines in our FQHCs providing critical services to communities that need them most." 

Federally Qualified Health Centers provide critical primary and specialty care for millions of people all across the country.  In New Jersey they service nearly 500,000 of our must vulnerable and underserved areas.  As an FQHC, Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers relies heavily on Medicaid, its largest payer representing 70% of its total revenue.  Republican efforts to repeal the ACA would have led to an unprecedented gutting of Medicaid, leaving 520,000 New Jerseyans without coverage. 

“Southern Jersey Family Medical Center is doing vital work in Burlington County by providing an underserved community access to quality medical care,” said Assemblyman Herb Conaway, Chairman of the Assembly Health Committee. “As a physician that practices at an inner city hospital, I see firsthand the need to expand access to health care in disadvantaged communities. This is why I am so proud of Senator Booker and all the other Senators who prevented President Trump from taking away healthcare from millions of Americans and thousands of New Jerseyans.”

"Conversations like the one had today, reinforce my belief that Congress did the right thing by rejecting attempts to undermine the Affordable Care Act,” said Assemblyman Troy Singleton.  “Facilities such as the South Jersey Family Medical Center are healthcare lifelines for families of the community. I am incredibly grateful for the work that Senator Booker has done to keep the Affordable Care Act in place, and look forward to continuing to fight alongside him to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care."

“Through the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, we have been fortunate to provide life-changing primary care services to so many families in the communities we serve,” said Linda Y. Flake, CEO and President of Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers. “The number of uninsured patients receiving care at SJFMC was reduced by 50% under the ACA.  With the replacement plans we have seen so far, that expansion will end. Ten-thousand uninsured SJFMC patients who received coverage through the Affordable Care Act will lose their insurance, many of whom suffer from chronic diseases that will deteriorate and many may die if unable to obtain medication and specialty treatment. It goes against what we stand for, our commitment to the underserved populations in our region, our state, and our country.”

Senator Booker has stood up in strong support of federal funding for community health centers in New Jersey. Earlier this year, Senators Booker and Bob Menendez announced the award of $5.6 million in federal funding for New Jersey’s FQHC’s.  Senators Booker and Menendez were also integral in securing funding that allowed for the 2016 opening of the Saint James Federally Qualified Health Center in Newark’s Ironbound community. Since his time as Mayor of Newark, bringing affordable and multilingual healthcare to the Ironbound has been a longstanding commitment of Booker’s, a legacy which he was able to continue in the U.S. Senate.  

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