On September 15 and 16, Susan Kinney, Senior Vice President of Advancement; Tong Yan, MD, Chief Resident; Ryann Abrams, Director of Pharmacy; and Aaron Soroa-Alvarez, Manager of Legislative Affairs and Advocacy; attended the NACHC (National Association of Community Health Centers) Fly-In in Washington DC, joining hundreds of health center leaders from across the country to advocate on important health center policies with our federal delegation.
The GLFHC team met with: Senator Ed Markey’s staff, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s staff, Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s staff, Congressman Seth Moulton and staff, and Congressman Richard Neal.
During these meetings the following priorities were discussed:
Health Center Funding
- Community Health Centers need stable, long-term funding to continue providing care, hiring staff, and planning for the future. Short-term funding extensions create uncertainty at a time when costs and workforce shortages continue to grow.
- Upcoming Medicaid work reporting requirements and biannual eligibility redeterminations will cause some people to lose health coverage. As more patients become uninsured, health centers will see greater demand for uncompensated care while facing increased financial strain.
- Congress can help strengthen access to care by supporting increased, multi-year funding for Community Health Centers. The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act would provide an additional $750 million for health centers, helping them serve more patients, expand services, and address ongoing workforce shortages.
Protecting the 340B Program and Additional Supports for Pharmacy
- The 340B program helps patients afford their medications, making it easier for people with chronic health conditions to get the treatment they need.
- The proposed 340B rebate pilot program slated to go into effect on January 1, 2027, could make medications more expensive and harder to access. Instead of receiving discounts up front, health centers would have to pay large sums in advance then wait for reimbursement, creating financial and administrative strain that could impact patient services.
- Congress can help protect the 340B program by supporting the CHC Drug Pricing Protection Act (H.R. 7391), a bipartisan bill that would exempt Community Health Centers from the proposed 340B rebate model and help ensure patients continue to receive affordable medications without disruptions in care.
Support Workforce Development through TCHGME (Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education)
- There aren’t enough doctors, dentists, nurses, and mental health providers to meet growing patient needs, especially in rural and underserved areas.
- Community Health Centers provide affordable, high-quality care to millions of Americans while helping keep health care costs down.
- More investment in workforce training programs is needed to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of health care providers.
