Congressional leaders on Tuesday (Jan. 20) unveiled a bipartisan health care package, which was quietly negotiated over the past two weeks, that would extend key Medicare telehealth flexibilities, continue mandatory funding for community health centers, implement a handful of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms, and reauthorize a slate of expiring public health and Medicare programs, reports Jalen Brown at Inside Health Policy.
“While community health center advocates are grateful for the $4.6 billion in funding, these centers are still facing immense strain from workforce shortages, ongoing pressure on the 340B program, changes to Medicaid, and years of underinvestment, according to Advocates for Community Health CEO Amanda Pears Kelly.
“This legislation is an important step forward and presents 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,” Pears Kelly said in a statement Tuesday. “We look forward to working with bipartisan champions to ensure health centers are not only stable, but positioned to innovate and meet patients’ needs now and in the future.”