The Trump Administration recently issued new guidance that drastically changes the degree to which states can seek federal approval to make reforms to their health insurance marketplaces. Just as the country has entered the sixth open enrollment period, more changes to coverage options are likely to emerge in the near future as a result of …
Open Enrollment Begins This Week
The following is a guest blog post from Ronald Yee, MD, Chief Medical Officer of NACHC. Open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act began this week (November 1 – December 15). For Community Health Centers, which now serve 28 million people nationwide, it is our job to continue to educate people about their health insurance …
Tropical Cyclone Devastates Northern Mariana Islands
NACHC is closely tracking developments in the aftermath of a massive typhoon that struck Saipan and Guam this week. The category 5 typhoon, known as “Yutu,” has moved away from the region near the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, but left in its wake obliterated homes, downed power lines and flooding. It is …
Report Highlights Health Center Role in Emergency Response
Health centers have become adept at responding to natural disasters and other trauma events since their response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the last year alone, health centers have been at the forefront providing primary care services in the wake of multiple hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. In a new report, Medical Surge and the …
Helping Health Centers Explore PACE
NACHC, in partnership with the National PACE Association, Galway Group, and Capital Link, has launched the PACE at Community Health Centers program funded through The Retirement Research Foundation. The PACE (Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) program offers a solution to elderly patients who need access to health care services in a cost-effective and coordinated …
Hurricane Michael and Health Centers
We want to bring you up to date on what we know so far about Community Health Centers that were in the path of Hurricane Michael. Conditions on the ground in and around the disaster zone have made it challenging to get information about recovery from the storm, which five days ago cut a destructive …
Congress Passes Bipartisan Opioids Package
By: Aliza Auces and Megan Chung (NACHC Federal Affairs Intern) After many months of debate and review of a slew of opioid bills attempting to address the nation’s current opioid epidemic, last week Congress passed a comprehensive, bipartisan opioids package entitled H.R. 6, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. This bill has now been sent to …
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is always a busy month for Community Health Centers as they ramp up efforts to reach out to America’s underserved and promote the importance of breast cancer screenings for early detection of breast cancer. In 2015, the latest year for which incidence data are available, 242,476 new cases of breast cancer were reported among …
The Surgeon General’s Report on Opioids
A few developments worth highlighting in our nation’s ongoing war against opioid use disorder. The U.S. Surgeon General has released a report, “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids.” Among other things, the report calls for a cultural shift in the way we talk about the public health crisis and recommends actions …
A Few Words About October
What a difference a year makes. On this exact day 1 year ago the primary care funding cliff took effect and Community Health Centers were launched into uncertainty. Congress failed to reauthorize funding for the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), opening the door to crippling service interruptions for patients and confusion in health systems across …