Congress passed a continuing resolution to keep health centers and the government funded through November 17, but health centers are still in need of a long-term investment. Read on to learn more about the future of health center funding.
Community health centers receive federal funding through the Community Health Center Fund and through the annual appropriations process. The Community Health Center Fund, which is multi-year base funding for health centers, accounts for about 70% of federal funding and was last reauthorized three years ago. Health centers also receive about 30% of their federal funding through the annual appropriations process. September 30 marked the end of the fiscal year, the date on which both forms of health center funding were set to expire.
What is the status of the Community Health Center Fund?
Congress passed and President Biden signed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through November 17. The CR includes an extension of both forms of health center funding, multi-year base funding, the Community Health Center Fund and discretionary funding appropriations. However, Congress must work on a longer-term solution to fund the government and provide health centers with stable, multi-year funding.
Following passage of the continuing resolution, the House voted to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and has yet to select his replacement. Several members including Representatives Steve Scalise (R-LA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Tom Emmer (R-MN) had been considered but not selected. As of the morning of October 25, Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) is the current nominee, but it's unclear if he will receive enough votes. Legislative action is essentially at a standstill until the House selects a new speaker.
What is the status of long-term health center funding?
Given the impasse in the House over the speakership, it's unclear when the House will consider H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. The legislation would provide a multi-year extension of the Community Health Center Fund and key workforce programs including:
- $4.4B per year for the Community Health Center Fund for the next 2 years
- $350M per year for the National Health Service Corps for the next 2 years
Seven years of funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, increasing to $300M per year
On the Senate side, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Senator Roger Marshall(R-KS) released the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act. This bill would also provide an extension of the Community Health Center Fund and key workforce programs:
- $5.8B per year for community health centers for the next 3 years
- Three years of funding for the National Health Service Corps, increasing from $310M to $950M per year
- Five years of funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, increasing to $300M per year
- $3B in capital funding for health centers, primarily for dental care and mental health care
- Additional funding to increase the number of nurses and primary care doctors
The bill passed out of the Senate HELP Committee but has yet to come before the full Senate for a vote.
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