Mr. President. I believe that the level of funding for migrant health programs is essential and the reforms in these programs crucial for improving the quality of health care for these individuals. When many think of migrants they visualize California and the Southwest. However. throughout the east coast there is a separate and substantial migrant stream that extends from Florida to Maine. In my own State of Massachusetts. there is a continuing migrant use. the majority of whom are Puerto Ricans who travel to the State under a separate arrangement with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. I have followed the development of migrant health services by the New England Farm Workers Council in western Massachusetts and it is clear that the Federal migrant health program is essential to insure the provision of health selvices. The bill now before us extends the authorizations for grants to operate migrant health centers and provides separate annual authorizations for hospitalization and planning and development. I believe the levels of authorization which are within this bill are essential if we are to begin to improve the coverage of this program. The current migrant health program offers services to barely 10 percent of the population and. until now. the services have been limited by the available funding. Hopefully this bill will mark a major change in that pattern. At the same time.
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migrants migrant