Alexander, Murray Introduce Bill to Support Community Health Centers That Allow Over 27 Million Americans to Get Care Close to Home

WASHINGTON, January 18, 2019 — Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today introduced legislation that will extend for five years federal funding for community health centers, and four other federal health programs, that are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year.

“This legislation is the first step in ensuring millions of Americans can continue to have access to quality health care they can afford close to their homes,” Alexander said. “There are 1,400 community health centers that provide health care services at about 12,000 sites to approximately 27 million Americans, including to 400,000 Tennesseans in 2016.  Many of these centers serve patients in rural areas who otherwise would have to travel far distances to access health care. This legislation will also extend funding for health care workforce programs that community health centers rely on.”

“These programs help recruit and retain health professionals to serve in underserved areas and across the country, support research and services to manage diabetes, and make sure families can get the care they need, in their communities, close to home. I’ve heard from families throughout Washington state about how grateful they are to have a community health center close at hand with providers who know and understand their families and communities, so I’m glad we are introducing bipartisan legislation that gives these programs the stability they need to continue recruiting providers and serving their communities for years to come,” Murray said. 

This legislation would provide five years of mandatory funding for the:

• Community Health Center program;
• National Health Service Corps;
• Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program;
• Special Diabetes Program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and
• Special Diabetes Program for Indians.

Mandatory funding for the programs is set to expire after September 30, 2019.

The Committee will hold a hearing on this legislation to hear from program experts on January 29, 2019.

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