NACHC Deputy Director of State Affairs Susan Sumrell contributed to this blog post. States are continuing to test the limits of Medicaid waiver flexibility made available to them under the Trump administration. While Alaska, Texas and Georgia are reportedly exploring ways to reform their Medicaid programs, including through the use of block grants, others, like …
More People Are Uninsured
Some sobering news from the U.S. Census: the number of people without health insurance is growing for the first time in 10 years. The number jumped to 27.5 million, up from 25.6 million in 2017 — or 7.9 percent in 2017 to 8.5 percent in 2018. It was also the first year-to-year increase in uninsured …
Some Place to Go When There’s No Place to Go
Bob’s story found its way to our desk, tucked inside the 2018 Annual Report of Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS). Bob, 78, was left early one morning at the door of the health center’s homeless services facility. He was wrapped in cardboard and a blanket. He had been on a harrowing journey between a hospital, …
Update on the 2019 NACHC CHI
The 2019 NACHC Community Health Institute and EXPO ended a packed day of education sessions, speakers, and a crowded exhibit with a “Disco Inferno” explosion of food and music. We started the morning at the General Session with U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), a longtime champion of health centers, who reminded the gathering that, despite …
Report from the NACHC CHI
One remarkable aspect of the 2019 NACHC Community Health Institute and EXPO is that this is the 50th year of the conference. At the half-century mark, the national gathering is getting bigger than ever, with more than 2,500 attendees and 160 exhibitors in the EXPO Hall. The conference also marks a transition of leadership on the …
The NACHC CHI Kicks Off in Chicago
The 2019 NACHC Community Health Institute (CHI) and EXPO is underway in Chicago, with more than 2,700 health center leaders from around the country gathered under one roof (media advisory). “Leadership, Collaboration, Innovation: Shaping the Future of Health Center Delivery,” is the theme of this year’s conference, which is chock full of education sessions and …
Back to School! Community Partners Come Together for Young People
When a community school and a Community Health Center come together, you can see the full picture of the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.” By definition, a community school is not only focused on academics, but also youth development, family support, health, and social services, and community development through partnerships. In …
Flurry of Activity in Washington Before the August Recess
There has been a timely burst of activity in Washington in recent days. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced a health care package that included legislation to extend health center funding for four years. On the same day, dozens of health center advocates stormed the halls of Congress to demand long-term and robust …
Veterans Get More Options for Care
As a result of the MISSION Act signed into law last year with bipartisan support, the Veterans Administration has established the Veterans Community Care Program, which will offer veterans expanded care options from non-VA providers including Community Health Centers. Under the new program, veterans facing a wait of 20 days or more, or who must …
An Update on Health Center Funding Reauthorization
Editors Note: NACHC staff Amy Simmons Farber and Oliver Spurgeon are contributors to this blog post. The busy year for health center funding activity in Congress continues. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has passed a bipartisan measure that aims to curb high costs and unexpected bills for patients, and includes a …