Strengthening Health Centers Appropriations

In order to meet the need for affordable, accessible, high-quality health care across the country, continued and strategic increases to the federal appropriation for the Health Centers program will be necessary. Health Centers’ ACCESS for All America Initiative calls for expansion designed to meet the needs of 30 million patients by 2015, and this goal will determine and guide future appropriations requests. Increased appropriations must address several equally important funding streams: a strong foundation of existing health centers through base grant adjustments, new and expanded access to care in communities nationwide, and additional services to ensure that every health center is a “one stop shop” for comprehensive health care.

Ensuring Affordable, Quality Health Care for Every Health Center Employee

As the number of uninsured continues to rise in the United States, it is important that health centers are able to dedicate as much funding as possible to providing care to the uninsured. Yet, due to rapidly rising health insurance costs, health centers have been forced to use more and more of these valuable funds to provide health insurance to their own employees. NACHC will be pressing Congress to provide health centers with access to affordable, comprehensive coverage for their employees through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).

Protecting the Vitality of the Health Centers Program

Ensuring a strong foundation from which to enhance and expand the reach of health centers nationwide continues to underscore the importance of reauthorizing the Health Centers program. As part of the ACCESS for All America Initiative, NACHC will fight to secure, as part of the program’s reauthorization, the necessary resources to meet the ACCESS goals of serving 30 million patients by 2015 and preserving the fundamental core elements of the existing program. NACHC will also be seeking to press lawmakers on the need to strengthen other Public Health Service Act programs, such as the National Health Service Corps and the Federal Tort Claims Act, to better meet the needs of our growing health centers.

Ensuring a Strong Health Center Workforce

As the reach and capacity of health centers continues to grow, there must be a parallel strategy to address the root causes of widespread health professional shortages, and to create incentives for clinical students to choose primary care and graduates to serve in underserved areas. NACHC will advocate for the reauthorization and expansion of the National Health Service Corps, a critical tool for health centers to recruit new clinical staff. Further, NACHC will engage in the reauthorization and redesign of federal health professions programs, in order to pursue three goals: revitalizing training to produce the needed primary care workforce, promoting service in underserved communities, and promoting a racially diverse workforce.

Strengthening and Modernizing the Health Center Medicare Payment System

Health centers serve as the health care home to over 1 million Medicare beneficiaries and it is one of the fastest growing populations at health centers. However, the majority of health centers are losing vital funds providing care to this population, due to an outdated payment structure.

NACHC will continue its efforts on legislation to strengthen and update the Medicare FQHC payment structure, in order to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have access to vital primary and preventive care services.

Fortifying the Health Center Role in SCHIP and Medicaid

Health Centers provide critical health care to millions of children and uninsured and underinsured individuals who would otherwise go without needed medical care. Additionally, health centers play an essential role in the nation’s health care safety-net by helping eligible children and families enroll in Medicaid and SCHIP. Despite ongoing outreach and enrollment efforts by these centers and other providers, millions of low-income individuals, especially children, continue to face numerous barriers to enrolling in both programs and receiving appropriate care. Moreover, a number of states do not adequately reimburse health centers for providing care to SCHIP beneficiaries. As part of its policy agenda in Medicaid and SCHIP, NACHC will continue to advocate for restructuring health center reimbursements under SCHIP, and we will urge Congress to address barriers to care for those eligible for Medicaid and SCHIP coverage, including the nation’s farmworkers and their families.

Expanding Health Center Capital Construction Investment and Growth Opportunities

Despite continued success in meeting patient demand, many health centers are still limited by facilities that are outdated and undersized. As part of the ACCESS for All America Initiative, NACHC will be working to educate Members of Congress and staff about the need to increase federal investments in health center capital infrastructure. NACHC will also look to educate Members and staff about the importance of supporting initiatives designed to direct private resources to underserved areas, including improvements to current loan and loan guarantee programs and also the New Markets Tax Credits program.