To teach prevention to farm workers is no easy task. just as it is not easy to teach prevention to most Americans. But by hiring bilingual outreach workers. by arranging transportation. by using Spanishspeaking nurses. receptionists and doctors. the farmworker is beginning to understand prevention. More important. he is not postponing trips to clinics because he now knows he and his family will be treated at a migrant health clinic with dignity and with understanding. However. at the same time. in order to provide those services. there has been a decline in the use of funds for hospitalization. And where States have narrow restrictive regulations which prevent the migrant from obtaining medicaid. the lack of funds in this area has created an additional health problem. During the joint hearings of the Health Subcommittee and the Migratory Labor Subcommittee. we intend to explore whether additional legislation is desirable in the area of consumer participation. The 1970 amendments were a major step forward in this area. however. the regulations implementing that law have only recently been issued. The testimony hopefully will explore this subject thoroughly. Also. we would hope to develop a record as to the best method of insuring not only that preventive medicine and comprehensive ambulatory care is offered but also that adequate hospitalization services are available to migrants and eligible seasonal farmworkers. Thus. we hope to develop broad legislation that will succeed in bringing quality health care to the Nations migrants.
Keywords matched
migrants migrant