Today, more and more providers are relying on the long reach of technology to provide care to their patients. Telehealth is especially helpful in areas where people have limited access to health care services, whether the reason is lack of transportation or economic, cultural and/or linguistic barriers. The way it works is through telecommunication, some …
Category: Health Center Federal Policy
Can Congress Deliver a Cliff Fix Before They Leave for the Holidays? Yes! (But We Need Your Help!)
Congress is embarking on its annual holiday tradition of scrambling to pass all outstanding legislation that piled up over the course of the year and needs to be enacted before the new year. This year they have amassed an especially long list of complicated and critical items that need attention before they attempt to leave …
House Legislation Summary: The CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act
By: NACHC Federal Affairs Staff The House of Representatives is slated to vote this week on the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act, legislation that would avert the Health Center funding cliff and extend several other programs important to health centers: the Community Health Centers Fund (CHCF), which provides 70% of section 330 grant dollars; along with …
Bipartisan Actions Seek to Boost Momentum Toward Health Center Cliff Fix
As health centers around the country have made clear, the expiration of the Community Health Centers Fund (CHCF) on October 1, and with it, 70% of total grant funding for the Health Centers Program, is already having an impact at health centers nationwide. While each individual health center won’t experience a direct change to grant funding …
House Subcommittee Focuses on the 340B Program
While other health care related issues have certainly taken up much of the space on Congress’ agenda over the past year, the 340B program can be added to the list of issues at which Congress has taken a closer look at over the past several months. A case in point is the House Energy and Commerce …
Administration Actions on Marketplaces Create Major Uncertainty
By Colleen Meiman and Michaela Keller Last week, the Trump administration took two steps that have injected major uncertainty about the continuation and cost of coverage offered through the Marketplaces. On Thursday, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) instructing federal agencies to advance three policies that would make it easier for individuals to purchase …
Deadline Now Passed, House Committee Action Marks One Step Toward a Cliff Fix
As every health center director, staff member, board member and advocate knows well, the Community Health Centers Fund (CHCF), which accounts for more than 70% of all federal grant funding to America’s 1,400+ health center organizations, expired on October 1st. While each health center has until the beginning of their next budget period before the direct …
Despite Momentum, Cliff Fix Not Yet Atop Congressional Agenda
Thanks to the advocacy of thousands of health center leaders and supporters across the country, the last two weeks have shown a marked uptick in Congressional awareness of the need to fix the Health Center Funding Cliff, which, if left unaddressed, would have devastating consequences for the nation’s health centers and the people they serve. Yet, …
The Twists and Turns of the Senate Health Care Debate
Yesterday was a roller coaster of a day on Capitol Hill, as the Senate began debate on its version (or perhaps more accurately, versions) of health care legislation. So that advocates are able to remain up to speed, our team wanted to summarize what’s taken place so far and where we stand in the Senate. We’ll aim …
Senate Leaders Release a New Version of the BCRA
By Jennifer Taylor, Deputy Director, Federal Affairs Yesterday, Senate Republican Leadership released an updated version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), their proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. We laid out the details of the original Senate draft in our previous analysis, so we won’t go through all of the bill’s provisions here. Instead we wanted to highlight key changes in the latest version, and give you an idea of what …