AL SR108

A 1965 Alabama Legislature Act created a dedicated revenue stream for indigent health care in Jefferson County, generating approximately $45 million annually.

Jefferson County has approximately 100,000 residents living in poverty, with more than 30,000 eligible for health care coverage under the county's indigent fund.

The closure of Cooper Greene Mercy Hospital by the Jefferson County Commission eliminated a primary source of care for indigent residents and shifted the responsibility entirely to private physicians and hospitals receiving no payment.

The Senate urges the Jefferson County Commission to immediately contract with private physicians to establish a primary care network and implement a reimbursement process for physicians and hospitals providing indigent care.

Copies of this resolution shall be distributed to each member of the Jefferson County Commission.