In a sharply divided Congress, Republicans and Democrats have an opportunity to work beyond party lines to address a tragic problem that has persisted for decades. Millions of Americans still cannot access a primary care physician. Nationwide, roughly 92 million depend on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), including more than five million Floridians. Since many of these individuals cannot access a family doctor, they often forego routine care and resort to the emergency room when an illness escalates. Nationwide, 44 percent of Medicaid patients visit the emergency room each year, almost four times the rate of patients who have private insurance…
