Community health executives from all 50 states signed a letter outlining how substantial reductions in Medicaid funding would come at a cost for our nation’s largest primary care system.
WASHINGTON – Advocates for Community Health (ACH), a nonpartisan membership organization for federally qualified health centers working to advance forward-thinking health policies, led over 800 community health executives in urging Congress to support the important work community health centers do by protecting and stabilizing a federal program that community health centers rely on most – Medicaid.
In a letter delivered to Congressional leaders today, CEOs/presidents and board members of community health centers, and leadership at primary care associations, representing all 50 U.S. states outlined how substantial reductions in Medicaid funding would come at a cost for community health centers who represent our nation’s largest primary care system, and urged Congress to collaborate with health centers to ensure that any Medicaid changes protect rural and struggling areas of the country.
“We recognize the concerns about Medicaid’s stability and remain committed to working with lawmakers to keep the program strong for future generations,” said ACH CEO Amanda Pears Kelly. “Community health centers are a critical part of that solution, delivering high-quality, cost-effective care to millions of Americans who depend on it; however, Medicaid cuts would hit community health centers and their patients especially hard, putting care and services at serious risk. There’s no way around it.”
Community health centers serve a vital role in our nation’s health care system—saving $25.3 billion in federal health spending in 2021 alone—and, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), reducing the need for costly hospitalizations and emergency room visits. They serve more than 1 in 6 Medicaid patients nationwide and will continue to serve everyone who needs care, regardless of their ability to pay.
Operating with narrow margins and increasing workforce shortages, community health centers rely on Medicaid as their primary payer; on average, Medicaid accounts for 51% of health center revenue, with some health centers relying on it for more than 70% of their revenue.
“You see that by the extraordinary showing on this letter—more than 800 health center leaders from every state in the country are calling on Congress to consider these impacts,” added Pears Kelly.
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About Advocates for Community Health
Established in 2021, Advocates for Community Health (ACH) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization of community health centers dedicated to forward-thinking and ambitious federal policy and advocacy on behalf of health centers, their patients, and their communities. To learn more, visit advocatesforcommunityhealth.org.