WASHINGTON – Advocates for Community Health (ACH), a nonpartisan membership organization for federally qualified health centers working to advance forward-thinking health policies, sent a letter to Congress on Friday urging Congressional leadership to include community health center funding and legislation in any end-of-year legislation package.
In a communication to U.S. House and Senate leadership, ACH and the more than 3 million patients it represents, urged Congress to act now to ensure continued access to care for our nation’s underserved populations.
ACH is asking for the following:
- Reauthorization of the Community Health Center Fund for two years at $5.8 billion per year. This funding expires on December 31, 2024.
- Passage of a disaster supplemental funding bill that provides dedicated funding for community health centers to recover from recent natural disasters.
- Reauthorization of the National Health Service Corps mandatory funding stream (NHSC) at $950 million per year for two years and an increase in funding for the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program to $300 million per year for five years.
More than 550 national, state, and local organizations representing all 50 U.S. states and territories support a $5.8 billion per year investment in the Community Health Center Trust Fund. ACH urges robust, sustained funding increase for community health centers through this funding stream to ensure communities have what they need to stay healthy.
Health centers need the Administration and Congress to work together to ensure any upcoming disaster supplemental funding package includes sufficient resources to help health centers keep their doors open and continue serving their patients. ACH is requesting at least $50 million to help health centers recover from recent natural disasters.
ACH is also deeply concerned about the imminent expiration of mandatory funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, which is set to expire on December 31st. ACH urges Congress to reauthorize mandatory NHSC funding at $950 million annually for two years and requests an increase in THCGME funding to $300 million annually for five years.
ACH continues to engage with Congress to address community health challenges affecting the nation’s largest primary care system. Contact ACH’s Senior Vice President of Policy & Government Affairs at skrenrich@advocatesforcommunityhealth.org with any questions.
About Advocates for Community Health
Advocates for Community Health (ACH) is a membership organization for federally qualified health centers that strives to advance the delivery of health care to underserved populations and to achieve health equity for patients and communities in need. We are committed to working collaboratively to advance well-defined and forward-thinking policies at the national level. By leveraging the wisdom, agility, and innovation of our members, ACH brings bold leadership to drive change in the American healthcare system. To learn more, visit advocatesforcommunityhealth.org.
###