Letter to the Hon. Alex Azar, Secretary of the Dept. of Health and Human Services - Schumer, Gillibrand demand Feds speed up funding for New York's community health centers that were the frontline armor battling COVID-19; senators say emergency funding is needed for NY communities to begin recovery and rebuilding

Letter

Dear Secretary Azar,

We urge you to move quickly to support the nation's Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and FQHC look-alikes by targeting funds from the $175 billion for providers in the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (PHESSF) to these entities and supporting the supplemental appropriations for FQHCs and FQHC look-alikes in the House-passed HEROES Act. FQHCs, also referred to as community health centers, provide a critical safety net for the U.S. during times of crises, as they provide a direct link between federal resources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local communities delivering care on the ground. New York continues to feel the effects of the pandemic after months as the state hardest hit by COVID-19 and in order to keep CHCs solvent to help respond to the pandemic, there is a need for an additional infusion of emergency funding as well as continued support for their operational needs.

FQHCs and FQHC look-alikes are community-based health care providers that provide primary care services in underserved areas and specifically important safety net providers in rural areas. New York's community health centers are a cornerstone of the state's healthcare system with nearly eleven million patient visits annually. Now more than ever, New York's 760 Community Health Centers have become a lifeline by continuing to step up, save lives, and fight this deadly battle on the frontlines. Like all FQHCs, look-alike health centers meet the stringent requirements of Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act but do not receive Section 330 grant funds. There are currently over 80 FQHC look-alikes nationally, including six in New York, that have yet to receive the same critical financial support that FQHCS have received from federal supplemental appropriations despite serving in the same underserved communities as their FQHC counterparts.

Nationally, health centers have lost over $7.6 billion forcing over 100,000 clinical and non-clinical staff to lose their jobs during this public health crisis. This is especially concerning as health centers in New York State, and other areas highly impacted by COVID-19, have shifted resources away from routine primary care and toward caring for COVID-19 patients with limited and dwindling financial resources. During the beginning of the pandemic, the state's CHCs were collectively losing $30 million in revenue per week. We have heard from numerous New York CHCs, which are supporting the New York state hospital system's capacity to address this crisis, that these financial difficulties are already forcing them to let go of clinical and non-clinical staff. The situation is even more dire among our state's FQHC look-alikes: two-thirds report furloughing, laying off or reducing hours for staff and half report closing care delivery sites

The federal government must provide further financial aid to these health centers as part of the larger effort to support our nation's health care system as it responds to the twin public health and economics crises created by COVID-19. In order to continue to support the critical work CHCs are doing across the across the country and in New York State, we request that HHS prioritize funding specific to CHCs by providing funds from the PHSSEF specifically for CHCs in the next funding tranche. This support must include support not only for FQHCs but also FQHC look-alikes. We also ask that you support the recent House passed HEROES Act, which includes specific language to make these entities eligible for supplemental appropriations for community health centers.

Thank you for your attention to this critically important issue to support CHCs as they continue to provide high-quality care to Americans during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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