More than 645,000 patients are served by Community Health Care Centers in Arizona but they have been dealing with considerable uncertainty and stress since Congress failed to reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which expired September 29, 2017.
After 114 days without a budget, the Children’s Health Insurance Program became a bargaining chip (no pun intended) to end a government shutdown. The short-term deal to fund the government through Feb. 8 and end a three-day shutdown included a six-year reauthorization of CHIP.
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While this is positive news for children’s health and avoiding a government shutdown, Congress did not include any funding for community health centers.
If Congress does not act, community health centers will lose nearly 70 percent of the federal dollars they rely on to operate.
Health Center Services are at Risk
Canyonlands Healthcare, a private Arizona non-profit stands to lose a significant portion of their operating budget if Congress does not act. Canyonlands Healthcare began in 1973 with the founding of Lake Powell Medical Center in Page, Arizona and has expanded to provide primary and preventive care to 10 locations in 7 underserved communities in Northern and Southeastern Arizona.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the significant funding cut would lead to one-quarter of community health centers sites closing nationally, 51,000 workers being laid off, and 9 million people — more than one-third of all community health center patients — losing the comprehensive, high-quality, and low-cost care they need.
Please Post Your Support for Community Healthcare Funding on Social Media Tuesday, Feb. 6
The next opportunity for Congress to fund Community Health Centers (CHC), Teaching Health Centers (THCGME), and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is on February 8th. On Tuesday, February 6, hundreds of advocates will be in DC meeting with Congress and demanding a fix to the Health Center Funding Cliff.
Please post your support on social media and hashtag #RedAlert4CHCs #FixTheCliff #ValueCHCs.
