BETHESDA, MD — The clock is ticking on a funding extension for Community Health Centers that expires on September 30th and will result in a 70 percent cut unless Congress acts. An analysis from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) projects that almost 7 million patients will lose access to care if Congress does not extend health center funding. The funding uncertainty poses a significant challenge for Community Health Centers, which care for more than 30 million people nationwide at a time when nearly one-third of the U.S. population, more than 100 million people, struggle to access affordable preventive health care.
“From small towns to big cities, health centers provide high-quality, affordable health care and do not close their doors to anyone,” said Rachel A. Gonzales-Hanson, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at NACHC. “Health centers are mission-driven, but they need financial certainty to plan and deliver services and hire clinicians, such as doctors, dentists, behavioral health, nursing staff and other disciplines to care for people in communities where access to care continues to be a problem. Community Health Centers have had strong bipartisan support for over 50 years, and we need Congress to prioritize an extension of funding before the September deadline.”
Over the years, Congress has repeatedly acted in a bipartisan way to extend Community Health Centers’ funding, but the need for action is more urgent than ever because health centers are navigating a period of exceptional financial uncertainty. COVID-related workforce shortages, Medicaid redeterminations, and losses from 340B restrictions pose a triple threat of fiscal pressures on safety net providers working on razor-thin margins. A 70 percent funding cut will affect every health center in some measure and jeopardize thousands of health center staff. While there’s strong bipartisan agreement in Congress that the health center funding should continue, time is short given the looming deadline and a crowded legislative calendar.
More than 1,400 health centers nationwide are caring for more Americans than ever, including growing numbers of veterans and nearly 9 million children.
“Health care for so many people, most of whom have limited resources and are struggling with chronic health conditions, is critical and cannot lapse. This includes individuals who are the backbone of America’s workforce,” said Gonzales-Hanson.