We work closely with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to advocate for CHCs at the federal level. In doing so, we maintain strong relationships with our federal delegation to ensure CHC program reauthorization, increased appropriations, improved Medicare payments and other pertinent issues for CHCs. For more information on NACHC’s legislative priorities, please click here.

State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) We successfully encouraged Congress to reauthorize SCHIP with a fix to Washington’s payment inequity. Click here for more information about our support of SCHIP. SCHIP was reauthorized with numerous improvements through the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) in January 2009.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) WACMHC and NACHC advocated for health center inclusion in the ARRA of 2009. Ultimately, this legislation included one-time grants of $1.5 billion for capital and operational funding for health centers, and over $300 million in new funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Recovery Act Funding for Community Health Centers in Washington

National Health Care Reform Promoting the role of health centers in national healthcare reform is a current priority. We support NACHC priorities to increase funding for health center operations and the NHSC. Health centers must also be included as providers and reimbursed at appropriate levels by all health plans, including Medicare.

Press Release: October 5, 2009–Cantwell’s Amendment Approved
WACMHC Response to Senate Finance Committee Options
NACHC—CHCs and Health Care Reform
NACHC Principles for National Health Reform
WACMHC/CHNWA side-by-side comparison of 3 national healthcare reform proposals (matrix of key HCR Provisions 6/26/09)