The Community Health Investment, Modernization and Excellence Act of 2017
Congress Mike Coffman (R-CO 6th District) Announces Co-Sponsorship
Community Health Centers are the primary care medical home for more than 25 million Americans throughout the United States. With bipartisan support from Congress, the more than 1,400 Community Health Centers (CHCs) nationwide provide access to high-quality integrated primary care, oral health, behavioral health, and wraparound services and supports for patients who need to access services the most. CHCs save $24 billion annually, through reduction in ER utilization, and are proven to save 24% in total Medicaid spending, when compared to other providers.
What is CHCF?
The Health Center Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services, awards grants to outpatient health care facilities that provide care to medically underserved populations. CHCF funds have been used for a range of health center activities including funding new health centers, increasing services provided at existing health centers, and implementing care coordination initiatives. CHCF funds have also been used to fund health centers in need of immediate funding such as those in Flint, MI, which had immediate health service needs due to the discovery of lead in its water supply, and those in Puerto Rico and other territories, which had additional health service needs related to the Zika virus. The CHCF represents more than 70% of the Health Center Program’s Fiscal Year 2016 funding. Funding for the CHCF was extended in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.
Total funding for the Health Centers program is $5.1 billion annually. Of this total, $3.6 billion comes from the Community Health Centers Fund (CHCF), a dedicated source of funding that was extended for two years in 2015. Without action by Congress by September 30th, this funding will expire. The CHIME Act would extend the funding for an additional five years. Modest amounts of it would be available in future years to address national priorities, to include access to mental health, substance abuse, and oral health services.
Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN) and Salud Family Health Centers are two of 20 CHCs across Colorado and provide healthcare services to patients living in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District. In 2016, Colorado CHCs provided services to 740,000 Coloradans, 93% of whom were below 200% Federal Poverty Level ($49,200 for a family of 4) and more than 90% were uninsured or enrolled in public insurance programs- Medicaid, Medicare, and CHP+. MCPN and Salud served more than 126,000 patients (17% of all CHC patients served) across their respective service areas, including Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson Counties in the 6th Congressional District.
On Monday, September 25th, Congressman Coffman, a champion of the Community Health Center Movement, co-sponsored the CHIME Act, joining 64 members of the House, including Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO 1st District).
Community Health Centers have done an extraordinary job in providing care to the uninsured and the underinsured in this country and should be recognized as the foundation that we build upon whenever we talk about health care reform. — Coffman.
“MCPN applauds Representative Coffman for his unwavering support of Community Health Centers and his acknowledgement of the impact we have on our community through high quality, low cost, person-centered care,” stated Ben Wiederholt, President and CEO at MCPN.
John Santistevan, President and CEO of Salud Family Health Centers shared in Mr. Wiederholt’s sentiments. “I’d like to thank Representative Coffman for his efforts to assure his constituents have access to quality health care by strongly supporting Community Health Centers. We look forward to continued work with Representative Coffman to improve and expand health care services throughout Colorado.
— credit of Public Health Post Org
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