Letter to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader of the House, Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, and Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader - Barragán sends letter requesting funding for look-alike health centers in next stimulus package

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, Majority Leader McConnell, and Minority
Leader Schumer,

As you consider legislative priorities in any upcoming stimulus package to address the COVID19 crisis, I strongly urge you to not only include robust funding for community health centers, but also for federally qualified health center look-alikes.

Look-alikes were established to increase access to care for medically underserved communities, regardless of an individual's ability to pay, and are currently on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19. However, while look-alikes meet the requirements of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program, they do not receive program funding, even though they are operating at a similar capacity to those that do.

Despite Congress passing $2 trillion in funding in the CARES Act, look-alike clinics still do not have the resources they require to care for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Providers in these clinics are continuing to see patients without adequate supplies and protective equipment. Additionally, because there is a reduction in non-emergency visits, these clinics are also experiencing a severe decline in their revenues. This has strained their budgets, and could result in clinics having to reduce staff at a time when this nation cannot afford a shortage of healthcare workers.

As we continue to face COVID-19, we must stabilize our healthcare system, and no longer continue to overlook the thousands of providers and professionals nationwide that are facing this pandemic alone. During this time of crisis, Americans must be able to turn to healthcare providers solely focused on community wellness but are instead trusting their lives with potentially exposed professionals faced with financial uncertainty.

Sincerely,

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