In their effort to toe the line on UW budget increases, Assembly republicans cut money from several primary care health clinics around the state.
Robert Golden is the Dean of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. He says these clinics primarily serve rural areas and some central city locations.
Dean Golden says the one million dollar cut over two years will mean less money for the caregivers. The money does not go to research or buildings it's used to pay the people who care for patients and train the next generation of caregivers.
And if you cut into preventive medicine, Dean Golden says it will mean higher health costs later. A lack of prevention usually means people end up using the more costly emergency room or operating room services.
Assembly republicans have countered with the argument the UW System just doesn't need the amount requested.
But when it comes to the Family Care Clinics, Dean Golden says the proposed five percent cut comes from the current budget, not a new budget request.