Medicaid’s success as a national program derives from its variation across states. Medicaid looks different in every state and territory because the program is able to reflect and accommodate the specific needs of that state’s patients, providers and communities. These state-based programs are vital to the patients served by community health centers, patient-directed primary care providers that serve rural and underserved communities nationwide.

As the House and Senate work toward a budget reconciliation package, Advocates for Community Health (ACH) encourages a cautious approach to changes to Medicaid policy, as broad changes have the potential to destabilize state Medicaid programs and community health centers, impact local economies and job creation, and further exacerbate rural health care access challenges. The Congressional Budget Office has found that care provided at community health centers leads to more cost-effective care and lower federal spending for the Medicaid and Medicare programs as well as lower spending in emergency departments, inpatient hospital settings, and other outpatient services.

ACH stands ready to work with the Trump Administration and Congress on policies that stem waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid and create a more effective, efficient Medicaid program for the patients it serves.

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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.