Advocates for Community Health (ACH) is grateful for the bipartisan support for community health centers and the funding increase secured through the end of 2026. Specifically, the Community Health Center Program was funded at $4.6 billion through the end of 2026. We recognize that advancing this legislation, particularly through the end of the calendar year, required significant collaboration and reflects a shared recognition from members on both sides of the aisle of the essential role health centers play in our healthcare system and in caring for nearly 34 million patients nationwide.

While we have tremendous gratitude for this vitally important funding, health centers continue to face immense strain from persistent workforce shortages, ongoing pressure on the 340B program, changes to Medicaid, and years of chronic underinvestment. This legislation is an important step forward and creates an opportunity for lawmakers to build on this momentum by making a sustained, long-term investment in the Health Center Program and the National Health Service Corps beyond 2026.

We look forward to continuing to work with bipartisan champions to ensure health centers are not only stable, but positioned to innovate and meet patients’ needs now and in the future.