Congress Passes $207 Million Increase for Community Health Centers
Washington, D.C. - Following in the steps of the House just weeks ago, the U.S. Senate has passed a Continuing Resolution that boosts Community Health Center funding by $207 million. The funding increase will strengthen and expand health centers' efforts to reach more people in need of life-saving preventive health care services. The funding increase also includes $25 million to help existing health centers cover the costs of caring for a burgeoning patient population. The FY 2007 $463.5 billion Senate funding bill passed by a vote of 81-15.
"We deeply appreciate the leadership of our Senate supporters, especially Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairmen Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. David Obey (D-WI) for their hard work and unfailing belief in the mission and accomplishments of health centers," said Dan Hawkins, Vice President for Federal, State and Public Affairs at NACHC. "Thanks to the Senate action, more than 1.5 million additional Americans who don't have a have a primary health care home now have a fighting chance at good health. This increase will also help our existing health centers deliver care to the growing volumes of patients coming into their doors every day."
America's Health Centers already serve 16 million people in rural and urban underserved communities of the country. Passage of the FY 2007 Continuing Resolution will allow them to serve more than 17 million at a time when growing numbers of Americans are either uninsured or under-insured, meaning their private coverage will not pay for preventive health care services that keep them healthy and out of hospitals.
For more information about NACHC or the mission of Community, Migrant, Public Housing and Homeless Health Centers visit . 
http://www.nachc.com/.
