We want to make you aware of some important funding updates for health centers that were announced recently. The House Appropriations Committee and its Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee released new deadlines and information relating to Congressionally Directed Spending (earmarks). Please note the deadline to submit earmark requests for community project funding is next Friday, May 3, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. EST. In an effort to help explain how these changes could impact your earmark requests, we will be hosting a special Office Hours via ZoomTODAY (Monday, April 29) at 2 p.m. EST.
In addition, HRSA recently announced that $240 million would be available for HRSA-funded health centers to respond to the need for mental health and substance use disorder services. We hope your health center takes advantage of this incredible opportunity to provide additional behavioral services in your communities. The deadline to apply for funding is May 22, 2024.
Lastly, as we continue to prioritize pushing for 340B reform, we recently submitted our response to the Senate 340B Working Group draft legislation and RFI – offering perspective and recommendations provided directly by ACH's membership via the 340B Workgroup, Executive Policy Advisory Council and Board of Directors.
Please continue reading for additional updates on our activities in Washington and relevant policy news.
Here's the Latest from DC
An Update from our Policy & Government Affairs Team
As the world experiences a period of global instability, leaders on Capitol Hill are focusing on the United States’ response. The Middle East is in a moment of high tension (made more so by the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel). Meanwhile, Congress – which has many complex and serious issues it should address – struggles to perform the most basic of tasks.
There were two key committee moves that are important to community health centers, highlighted by Tom Cole (R-OK) being voted chair of the House Appropriations Committee, taking over for Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), who resigned her post. Cole was most recently vice chair of the panel and previously chaired its Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee. Cole’s move is likely a boon to backers of boosting NIH funding, as he has long supported the agency’s mission, with close family members having had Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. He is also a known supporter of the community health center program. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) will shift over to the Energy & Commerce (E&C) health subcommittee. This move brings a digital health advocate onto the panel as lawmakers grapple with whether to extend telehealth waivers permanently and how HHS should regulate digital therapeutics and artificial intelligence. Balderson is the co-chair of a recently formed bipartisan Congressional Digital Health Caucus.
If you missed the latest Policy Biweekly Update email from our Policy Team, you can find the full update in ACH's Members-Only Portal.
ACH's Response to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report on Health Center Funding
While we are pleased that GAO’s report shows that federal and state payers increased their support for community health centers between fiscal years 2018 and 2022, the report shows a slower rate of increase in funding than the preceding five years, with a more volatile funding mix than that of other primary care providers.
ACH's Response to HRSA's Final Rule on the 340B Administrative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
ACH appreciates HRSA’s final rule on the 340B ADR process. The new rule makes the process more accessible to smaller and less-resourced organizations, who often rely on 340B savings the most and need timely, fair resolution of disputes.
Cherokee Health Systems developed an innovative and new model of care called the NURTURE model to address maternal mental health. We recently talked with Dr. Sarah Beth Eriksen, a pediatrician and board-certified lactation consultant and Dr. Ashley Breazeale, a licensed psychologist to learn more about the innovative program they both developed.
HRSA takes policy action and provides first-ever funding opportunity for health centers to provide health care services to support transitions in care for people leaving incarceration.
Health centers have been spending more time and resources treating patients with behavioral health needs. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of patients receiving behavioral health care, including counseling and medication-assisted treatment, at CHCs tripled.
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