Contact: Amy Simmons Farber 202 309 0338 asimmons@nachc.org
Today’s 7-2 decision by the Supreme Court is a win for Community Health Centers and their patients. By allowing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to remain the law of the land, this decision safeguards insurance coverage for millions of Americans and continues key provisions of the law, including protections for pre-existing conditions, expanded Medicaid coverage, and funding through the Community Health Center Fund. Other critical health center program provisions, such as funding for the National Health Service Corps and the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education program, as well as health centers’ Medicare PPS reimbursement mechanism, and updates to the 340B program have now been preserved. The funding from the Community Health Center Fund fueled growth of health center sites, services, and patients.
“Community Health Centers can now breathe a sigh of relief,” said Tom Van Coverden, NACHC President and CEO of NACHC. “The Community Health Center network that millions of vulnerable Americans rely on for primary care would not be possible without the funding and protections of the ACA. Over the last decade, health centers have provided care for millions of Medicaid and private coverage patients who would otherwise be uninsured without this landmark law – and helped even more patients gain access to quality, affordable coverage because of it. The ACA’s importance to health centers is why NACHC filed its own brief in May 2020 calling on the Court to uphold the law. Today, we recognize the past work of health centers but also must continue to look forward to expanding our reach into more communities, more patients, and more comprehensive care.”
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Established in 1971, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) serves as the national voice for America’s Health Centers and as an advocate for health care access for the medically underserved and uninsured.