Advocates for Community Health (ACH) is tirelessly advocating and urging federal policymakers to ensure that America’s largest network of primary care providers can continue caring for more than 31 million patients annually in underserved communities. This will require proper funding and resources to position community health centers (CHCs) at the core of the healthcare system.

ACH is working towards this realization by pushing harder for policies and practices that improve patient health outcomes and ensure the success of the federal Health Center Program. Health centers play a crucial role in ensuring equitable health care access for diverse populations, and that message is at the foundation of ACH’s principles.

ACH’s 2024 Policy Priorities include:

1. Securing robust and stable federal health center funding
2. Protecting the 340B Drug Pricing Program for health centers
3. Achieving greater health equity
4. Creating the infrastructure necessary for more value-based care
5. Enacting policies that support a strong, resilient health center workforce
6. Enabling resources to ensure health centers are prepared for the next emergency or natural disaster
7. Allowing for innovations to improve health outcomes

A new 2024 ACH Progress Report reflects this year’s ongoing advocacy for health centers and their patients. Here’s how ACH is fighting for health centers today.

1. Securing robust and stable federal health center funding

Health centers need Congress to act and make historic investments in the Community Health Center Program. Despite strong bipartisan support for the program, funding has remained relatively flat in recent years. In inflation-adjusted terms, federal funding for health centers has dropped 9.3 percent while the number of patients has jumped 24 percent. It is critical that Congress build to a funding level of $30 billion a year by 2030 for community health centers to enable both sustainability and innovation to meet the evolving needs of health center patients and their communities.

ACH is urging Congress to reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund at $5.8 billion a year for at least three years and to the allocation of $3.2 billion in discretionary funding in fiscal year 2025 through the yearly appropriations process. This funding will help health centers stay afloat while allowing them to respond to the ever-increasing need to expand access, build infrastructure, grow their workforce, and spearhead innovative care delivery models.

2. Protecting the 340B Drug Pricing Program for health centers

The Community Health Center Program’s current reach would be impossible without the 340B Drug Discount Program. Data has shown that health centers’ grants and payer reimbursements consistently fail to cover the cost of the comprehensive services provided in the CHC environment. Unfortunately, health centers’ ability to access and leverage the 340B Program is decreasing by the day, and time is of the essence. The 340B program is being steadily eroded by the actions of state policymakers, pharmaceutical companies, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), to the detriment of the nation’s safety net providers.

ACH is urging Congress to reform the 340B program to allow CHCs to use the program as it was intended. Specifically, ACH is asking Congress to enact ACH’s “340C” proposal to ensure that the 340B program can continue to serve as a critical resource for health centers for years to come. 340C balances the need for transparency and accountability with the need for protection from actions that are eroding the program. 340C would be “opt-in” and available to all covered entities.

In addition, ACH is engaged in larger 340B reform conversations on Capitol Hill, including those being conducted by the bipartisan Senate Working Group on 340B. ACH has submitted formal, detailed comments at every step along this bill’s development, is in close contact with sponsor offices, and looks forward to reviewing the next iteration of this legislation when it is released

3. Achieving greater health equity

Achieving health equity means removing the barriers that prevent people from accessing care and leading healthy lives – systemic racism, poverty, and lack of access to economic mobility. Health equity is at the foundation of the health center program as well as at the heart of ACH’s mission and priorities. With increased investment in health centers and clear measurement structures to track health equity outcomes, America can get closer to a reality where all citizens have access to quality, comprehensive health care.

ACH is urging Congress to advance the Health Center Community Transformation Hub Act, HR 1072. Sponsored by Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY), this ACH-championed legislation creates a supplemental grant program to help health centers serve as a “hub” among local organizations to more effectively address the social drivers of health patients face.

4. Creating the infrastructure necessary for more value-based care

ACH believes that community health centers are positioned to lead the way in building a community-based continuum of care that can change how we deliver services to patients in need. Over the past decade, the federal government has started to transition to reimbursing health care through a value-based payment structure. This shift will drive a more financially sustainable, affordable, and efficient system. Unfortunately, health centers have not participated as fully as their capacity and expertise would allow.

ACH is urging Congress to invest in capacity building for value-based care (VBC) programs at health centers and is continuing to work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and other executive agencies to better position health centers to engage in new models and best practices.  Medicaid should provide incentives and technical assistance to states seeking to establish or enhance their alternative payment models within their CHCs and improve policies related to Medicaid-managed care organizations. ACH is also advocating for the incorporation of risk adjustment and health equity measures in VBC models.

5. Enacting policies that support a strong, resilient health center workforce

A thriving healthcare workforce promotes access to care and better health outcomes in people and communities, but healthcare workforce burnout is a major concern. That concern rises as staffing shortages and workloads increase, an unfortunate reality in the post pandemic healthcare sector.

ACH is asking for Congress to advance the Developing the Community Health Workforce Act (soon to be introduced), which:

• Improves recruitment and retention of CHC staff through a Loan Repayment Program,
• Increases workforce diversity at CHCs through data and evaluation,
• Creates a community health center workforce pipeline program,
• Expands CHC and hospital training partnerships through GME programs, and
• Expands the behavioral health workforce available to treat health center patients.

ACH also advocates for increased funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program to ensure a robust health center workforce for years to come.

6. Enabling resources to ensure health centers are prepared for the next emergency or natural disaster

The COVID-19 pandemic made health centers more vital than ever before as the nation grappled with economic insecurity and the severe implications of the pandemic across a broad spectrum of social drivers of health. Sadly, our country has seen what a lack of funding for emergency preparedness can mean, and the disproportionate impact these failures can have on underserved communities and marginalized populations.

ACH is urging Congress to advance the Emergency Preparedness for Underserved Populations Act (soon to be introduced), to help community health centers conduct comprehensive emergency preparedness and response activities in their communities.

7. Allowing for innovations to improve health outcomes

To improve how health centers provide services to underserved populations, health centers require advanced analytics to measure health outcomes and operational effectiveness accurately. Additionally, they need innovative tools to drive change and enhance their operations.

ACH is urging Congress to invest in telehealth, remote patient monitoring, health center initiatives that expand the use of AI and other emerging technologies, and other digital tools that increase access to care. In addition, ACH asks Congress to eliminate policy barriers to federally qualified health centers delivering specialty care and provide additional resources to support patient-centered and climate-resilient facility design.

ACH is tackling the obstacles that limit the ability of health centers to fulfill their mission caring for those most in need, addressing policies and regulations that hinder patient care head-on. Congress must understand what is at stake for health centers and their patients. The progress ACH has made is energizing and affirming; however, there is much more work to be done. Please get in touch with us to learn how to get involved.