Department of Public Health manager for medical referral services Ronald D. Sablan said the medical referral services of the Commonwealth Health Center handle about 175 cases each day.
“We don’t deny any medical referrals for patients, but we do defer some cases that are brought to us probably because those cases can be addressed here,” Sablan said.
He said medical referrals eat up a big portion of the Public Health’s operation budget each year.
Sablan said for the last two years, medical referrals have increased by 60 percent as more people drop their health insurance coverage and health maintenance programs to give priority to basic daily expenses.
In fiscal year 2007, there were 565 referrals; in FY 2008, there were 816.
Less than a week before FY 2009 ends, CHC has already recorded 907 medical referrals.
House Health, Education and Welfare Committee chairman Ralph DLG. Torres said Public Health spends about $6 million a year on medical referrals.
“There was even a time when the CHC spent about $18 million on medical referrals,” he added.
