Blog
FY24 Community Health Center Funding Outlook
| Members of Congress are supporting community health center funding through Dear Colleague letters and legislation. Read on to learn more about these developments. |
| Federal funding is allocated to community health centers through the annual appropriations process and the Community Health Center Fund, which must be periodically reauthorized by Congress. The end of the fiscal year on September 30 marks the date by which Congress must take action to support community health center funding. |
| Dear Colleague Letters Support Health Center Funding |
| Community health center received $1.74B in discretionary funding through the annual appropriations process for FY23, while President Biden's proposed budget includes $1.82B in discretionary funding, an increase of $80M from FY23 levels.1 ‘Dear Colleague' letters in the House and Senate conveyed broad, bi-partisan support for community health center funding in FY24 appropriations process. These letters, addressed to the chairs of each chamber's appropriations committee, outlined a request for ‘robust' funding for community health centers. The letters acknowledging the national impact of community health centers as well as the challenges they currently face including workforce shortages and ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The House letter, led by Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) was signed by 266 members of the House, including Tennessee Representatives Tim Burchett (R-2), Scott DesJarlais (R-4), John Rose (R-6) and Steve Cohen (D-9). Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) led the Senate ‘Dear Colleague' letter, which amassed 66 signatures. |
| Community Health Center Funding Bill Introduced in Congress |
| The largest portion of federal community health center funding is multi-year base funding through the Community Health Center Fund. In FY23, health centers received $5.76B in base funding. President Biden included an ask of $7.12B in his FY24 budget.2 Representatives John Joyce (R-PA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) introduced a bill to extend the multi-year base funding for community health centers. The bill, the "Strengthening Community Care Act of 2023," provides level funding for the Community Health Center Fund and National Health Service Corps for the next 5 years.3 This bill will be considered by the House Energy & Commerce committee within the next few weeks. |
| [1] Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Department of Health and Human Services FY 2024 Health Resources and Services Administration Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees. Retrieved from https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/about/budget/budget-justification-fy2024.pdf |
| [2] Ibid. |
| [3] Text - H.R.2559 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Strengthening Community Care Act of 2023.Congress.gov. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2559/text |