Thread by @CarolynMcC

My anger has been simmering for years and now I'm furious. I've written for 8 years about our decimated primary care/public health care system, including lack of preparedness for epidemics. @commonwealthfnd sums it up nicely. #coronavirus 1/x long thread! commonwealthfund.org/blog/2020/coro…

I first wrote about our lack of preparedness in 2012 @Forbes. A good part of the ACA? Funding had been greatly increased for public health. Guess what? That funding was the first to get cut in the arguments over the ACA. 2/x #pandemics #COVID19 forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

Later in 2012, I wrote about the importance of community health centers and how they have to beg Congress time and time again for funding. Guess what? They still have to beg and funding gets cut year after year. @NACHC
Here is the article @Forbes - 3/x forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

CHC's are still begging for money as it runs out in May. Congress had to find a way to "pay for" CHC funding. But they got emergency funding with #COVID. Congress can authorize any spending they want and #PayGo rule is pure crap. 4/x #MMT nachc.org/congress-passe…

In 2012, I wrote about BIPARTISAN EFFORTS to further decimate primary care. Folks, countries with good primary care systems are better prepared for these events plus they have better general health and much cheaper costs. @AAFP 5/x forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

In 2014, I wrote initial ideas about primary care for all through community health centers. Did you know we can provide basic primary care for everyone for less than $1,000 per person per year? This should be a public service. @AAFP 6/x forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

In 2014, I wrote about community health centers having to beg for funding AGAIN! And back then we had #Ebola and I pointed out we weren't in the best place to deal with that. We got very lucky on that one. 7/x @NACHC forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

In 2016, @realDonaldTrump said something during the debates about health care that gave me a glimmer of hope. Of course little clue he is just a liar. No I didn't vote for him, but wrote how he could walk the talk - primary care for all! 8/x forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

I planted the seeds again of rebuilding primary care and community health in 2017. To no avail of course. @forbes 9/x forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

And here is a beauty from 2017 - the @GOP actively planned to gut our public health care system at that point. Don't say I didn't tell you so. 10/x @Forbes forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

Oops and in 2017, another begging session had to happen to fund community health yet again. Sickening and wrong. 11/x @NACHC forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

In 2017 I laid out an alternative. Politicians left and right have reached out to me and have been intrigued by the idea. What do they all say? It is not politically feasible. Why not? Primary care and public health is an investment and it is cheap. 12/x forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

January, 2018 I took a stab again at reminding everyone of how to change the conversation on health care. Of course I mentioned our lack of preparedness for epidemics again. @Forbes 13/x forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

July, 2019 I said it again. Community Health Centers have to beg for funding and they are still begging. Sickens me. 14/x @Forbes forbes.com/sites/carolynm…

For the past couple of years, I sort of gave up on health reform because I spent a lot of time and kept being told "it isn't politically feasible" YES HELL YES IT IS AND WHY AREN'T WE DOING IT.

So my ask.
#1 Call Congress NOW and tell them to give community health centers and public health stable funding. This is from @NACHC @HCAdvocacy on how. hcadvocacy.org/takeaction-nat…

After the #COVID19 crisis is over (and it will be someday) WE CANNOT LET UP. We cannot let our leaders forget how important primary care and public health are ALL THE TIME.
I think I'm done for now, but I'll probably rant more later.