WASHINGTON (PRNewswire) – House lawmakers have passed a
significant funding increase for the nation’s Community, Migrant, Homeless
and Public Housing Health Centers today, taking a major step forward in
ongoing efforts to strengthen and expand health care to the medically
underserved and uninsured.
The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and
Related Agencies passed legislation with a funding increase of $206 million
to the federal Health Centers program. The Committee also set aside $25
million of that increase for base grant adjustments for existing health
centers, so that federal grants to centers can keep pace with the rising
cost of delivering care.
“The House bill reflects the Subcommittee’s strong commitment to our
nation’s health centers and the more than 15 million medically underserved
Americans they serve,” said Dan Hawkins, NACHC Vice President for Federal,
State and Public Affairs. “With this funding increase, millions more
Americans will have access to the affordable and effective primary care
services that health centers provide every day.”
The increase follows a bipartisan letter sent to the Subcommittee in
April, spearheaded by Reps. Mike Bilirakis (R-FL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH),
and cosigned by 237 members of the House, calling for the Subcommittee to
fully fund President Bush’s requested increase of $181 million for health
centers. This morning, the Subcommittee fully funded that request, and
added on an additional $25 million to increase current grants for existing
centers.
“Chairman Regula, Ranking Member Obey and members of the Labor-HHS
Subcommittee are to be commended for their leadership and efforts to expand
the health centers program to new communities and strengthen the reach of
the more than 1,000 health centers working hard to keep families and
neighborhoods healthy and disease-free,” said Hawkins. “This is a great
first step. We look forward to working with all Members of Congress as the
process moves forward to ensure this critical increase remains in place.
Affordable health care is worth the investment.”
The full House Appropriations Committee is expected to mark up the bill
next week, and consideration by the full House is expected the following
week. The Senate is expected to begin the appropriations process later this
month.