Bethesda, MD – Funding for the nation’s Community Health Centers (CHCs) is on the line even as they care for a record-setting number of patients at 32.5 + million (one in 10 Americans). The clock is ticking as Congress has only days to pass a year-end spending bill. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) calls on lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to come to a bipartisan agreement that includes crucial funding for CHCs, which save the healthcare system money and provide life-saving primary care to patients, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
“One in 10 Americans relies on CHCs for high-quality, affordable, comprehensive, and primary care services,” said NACHC President and CEO Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP. “Evidence shows that CHCs lower federal spending for the Medicare and Medicaid populations they serve, as well as reduce emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and other outpatient specialty services. We urge Congress to come together on a bipartisan basis to support sustainable multi-year funding for CHCs so they can continue their record of success saving lives and taxpayer dollars. We appreciate the outpouring of CHC support from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.”
CHCs are the foundation of the U.S. health system and deliver cost savings to taxpayers. Despite facing several challenges like limited funding, workforce shortages, and a high volume of patients with complex needs, CHCs are still managing to meet the health demands of their communities through strategies like telehealth, integrated behavioral services, and a focus on preventive care, proving their resilience in delivering accessible primary care to all.
The Continuing Resolution proposed earlier this week provides CHCs with much-needed certainty to continue their critical work. Specific provisions affecting CHCs and their patients include:
- Increases and extends CHC funding.
- Extends National Health Service Corps (NHSC) mandatory funding at an annualized rate of $350 million per year for two years and extends NHSC discretionary funding until March 2025.
- Increases Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) funding to $300 million incrementally over five years.
About the National Association of Community Health Centers
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) is the leading national innovative change agent collaborating with affiliates and partners to advance Community Health Centers as the foundation of an equitable health care system free from disparities and built on accessible, patient-governed, high-quality, integrated primary care.
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