Washington County Clinic Closures Would Hurt Farm Laborers

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Produced by: 
KBOO
Program:: 
Air date: 
Thu, 10/02/2014 - 12:00am
Washington County Clinic Closures Would Hurt Farm Laborers
On September 23, 2014, the Washington County Board heard a proposal in a closed work session, from Director of Health and Human Services Marni Kuyl, to close the two publicly-funded health clinics, on in Hillsboro and another in Beaverton.
          The proposal cites increased insurance coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act and Oregon’s Medicaid expansion as driving factors of reduced patient numbers.
          However, the closure of these clinics will effectively end publicly-funded health care in the county.
          According to the advocacy group Western Farm Workers Association in Hillsboro, this would have a disproportionate and disastrous effect on low-paid farm laborers.
          KBOO’s Sam Bouman spoke to Western Farm Workers’ Guillermo Magallon for more.

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