As we close out a whirlwind year in health policy, it’s clear that 2025 was a defining moment for our nation’s community health centers (CHCs). When we launched Community Health Centers Unfiltered, our new podcast series, our goal was simple but ambitious: to cut through the noise. We wanted to offer fresh perspectives without the spin, bringing together voices from across the political spectrum – conservative, liberal, and independent — to have honest, “unfiltered” conversations about the future of health centers and the issues that matter most to patients and communities.
Anchored by ACH CEO Amanda Pears Kelly, we found these voices, from the corridors of the Heritage Foundation to independent voices advocating for rural clinics and CHCs in our heartland, and covered the policies shaping care today and tomorrow. If you missed out, here is your end-of-year recap. These are the top 5 episodes that defined the conversation in 2025:
Episode 1: One Big Beautiful Bill
No piece of legislation dominated the 2025 landscape like summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA). While the headlines focused on the politics, we focused on health centers and their impacts on patients. With Venn Strategy’s Margaret French and ACH’s SVP Stephanie Krenrich, we dissected the $800+ billion in federal Medicaid cuts, as well as new work requirements. We moved past the rhetoric to answer the critical question: What happens when the safety net shrinks, and what do CHCs need to do to prepare? This episode is essential listening for understanding the fiscal cliff CHCs and states are now facing, and the direct impact on the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid.
Episode 9: Conservative Perspectives on the Future of Community Health Centers
As part of our commitment to presenting a range of perspectives, we invited Ed Haislmaier of The Heritage Foundation to share his views. In a complex policy environment, understanding the arguments shaping current and proposed reforms is essential. This episode examined market-based approaches to safety-net policy, including the role of private market competition and policy guardrails, and how these ideas may intersect with the mission of community health centers as healthcare infrastructure. The conversation highlighted areas of both difference and potential alignment, offering insight into how varying policy frameworks are influencing the evolving healthcare landscape.
Episode 7: The Future of Health Care, MAHA, and the Role of CHCs
What does the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) framework actually mean for a federally qualified health center? In this episode, we were joined by Gabrielle Kalisz Minarik from the Paragon Health Institute to break down their vision for the future of healthcare. This episode went deep into the Paragon Institute’s proposals for reform and how CHCs are pivotal pieces to a more efficient and whole-health-focused system. We didn’t shy away from the hard questions about funding cuts, and we also highlighted Paragon’s recognition of CHCs as a model for value-based care.
Episode 3: Connecting the Dots Between Rural Health and Community Health Centers
Rural America is a powerful economic driver in our country, and yet, many who live in rural communities face hard choices when accessing healthcare. In this deeply impactful episode, we explored the “healthcare deserts” expanding across the country and how the looming cuts from OBBBA will play a role. Guest Michelle Rathman from the Rural Impact Podcast helped us connect the dots between hospital closures and the importance of local community health centers, often the only remaining source of primary care in many areas. We discussed why the one-size-fits-all healthcare approach in Washington can fail rural communities and how CHCs are innovating to keep doors open, from rural New England, Appalachia, and the Mountain West.
Episode 2: Why 340B Matters to the Healthcare Safety-Net
Amidst debates about cuts and caps, it’s easy to lose sight of what works. This episode focused on an existing policy solution: the 340B Drug Discount Program. Originally designed for health centers and other covered entities that serve low-income and underinsured patients, this program provides critical discounts on common medicines to care for patients. Taxpayers don’t bear the cost of this program, the major drug manufacturers do. And it is the key program that enables CHCs to offer many programs and services, like mobile mammography and maternal health care, to patients. In this episode with Continuum Health Group’s Elizabeth Lee, we highlighted how CHCs are already doing more with less and why 340B matters to help CHCs deliver high-quality care and keep their doors open. This discussion cemented the argument that CHCs are effective tools in our fractured healthcare system, but their core funding streams can’t all be cut if they’re to survive.
At ACH, we know health policy is never static. As we look toward 2026, the role of CHCs is critical and urgent, and the dialogue we have across the political spectrum matters to advance the best policies for patients.
Thank you for listening and watching, and stay tuned for Season 2 of the CHCU podcast in 2026!