H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, which provides a multi-year extension of community health center funding passed the House on Monday night! Read on to learn more about the bill and how Tennessee's members voted.
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. Congress has since passed two short-term continuing resolutions to fund the government and health centers for a few months.
House Passes H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act
On Monday night, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act in a 320 to 71 vote! H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs More Transparency Act includes:
- $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
Learn how Tennessee's members voted here >>>
The bipartisan show of support for the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act is a significant step toward obtaining a multi-year investment in community health centers before funding expires on January 19. Attention now turns to the Senate and S. 2840, the Bipartisan Primary Care & Health Workforce Act, which also includes an extension of health center funding 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
Although the House and Senate bills differ, the passage of H.R. 5378 provides a starting point for the chambers to work together to pass a bill that includes health center funding. After two short-term continuing resolutions, health centers need Congress to commit to an investment in their futures.
Thank you to all health center advocates for reaching out to your members of the House! Your voice made a difference in getting H.R. 5378 passed with such a significant margin!
With the holiday season and upcoming Congressional recess, there are only a few weeks for Congress to act on behalf of health centers. Please stay tuned for updates on how you can continue to advocate for health centers in the Senate!