Health Care Reform Benefits for Community Health Centers

There are a variety of provisions in the Senate’s health care reform bill that greatly impact Community Health Centers. They are summarized below:

• The Reid amendment added $10 billion in GUARANTEED funding for Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps over the next five years (FY11-FY15). This funding will enable health center construction projects, base operations sustainability
• The Reid Amendment restored the Menendez Amendment to the bill. This amendment ensures that all health plans will pay health centers their Medicaid PPS rates
• The Reid Amendment improved the Medicare payment language that was already in the Senate bill.
• Essential Community Providers - mandatory contracting with all 340B providers, which includes CHCs.
• Teaching Health Centers - Enabling residency training at health centers.
• Negotiated Rule-Making for Medically Underserved Area Designation process- Calls on HRSA to work with stakeholders as they redesign the MUA/HPSA process.
• Coordinated Care Networks – This is a newer version of the old HCAP program. Health Centers and public hospitals would be are the core of this newly authorized system.
• Senate approves 60 day freeze on 21.2% Medicare cuts

Revised Senate Bill enables:

• CHIP funding extension and adoption tax credit through 2015
• Establishment of a Pregnancy Assistance Fund to assist teenage mothers
• Requirements for all health plans to include oral and vision coverage for children
• That all children have free covered preventive services
• A health insurance exchange for children through child-only insurance policies, regardless of parent’s insurance status

Revised Senate Bill eliminates:

• Provider Medicare and Medicaid enrollment fee
• State “opt-out” public option
• Medicare “opt-in” for 55-64 yr old uninsured (MGMA)

Finally, follow this link - http://bit.ly/5RvHrL - to hear Senator Bernie Sanders (I – Vermont) speaking on the Senate floor about the provisions for Community Health Centers included in the Senate health care reform bill which he helped secure.