On March 21^st, the House of Representatives voted to pass Health Care Reform. On March 23^rd, President Obama signed this historic bill into law. CHCs are at the forefront of this shift in health care with the establishment of an $11 billion Trust Fund for Community Health Center growth over 5 years. Additionally, to address the critical shortage of health care providers, the National Health Services Corps will receive $1.5 billion over 5 years (See estimated growth projection below).

• Some other significant provisions in health reform that impact community health centers are:
• Medicaid expansion to 133% FPL in 2014
•  Starting in 2014, requirement that health centers receive no less than their Medicaid PPS rate from private insurers offering plans through the new health insurance exchanges will go into effect.
•  The elimination of the outdated Medicare payment cap
•  Acknowledgement of the growing role of health centers in teaching the next generation of primary care providers by authorizing and funding new programs for health center-based residencies.
•  Medical Home Demonstration Projects
•  Permanent CHC Reauthorization

Tracking Health Care Reform (Matrix)

OPCA has developed a federal health care reform matrix. It’s a tool to track the opportunities and impacts of federal health reform that relate to community health centers.

This matrix is a work in progress. It is as complete as OPCA has been able to make it so far, but we know there is more to add. We’d like your help in co-creating a tool that will help us all stay on top of a huge – and hugely important - piece of legislation.

So please use and improve the matrix. We’ve set up a wiki-like process to harness all the brainpower we can to keep it up-to-date and accurate.

Find the Most Recent Version of the Tool Here

Find the Process Description and Instructions for Updating the Tool Here

Additional Resources 

Affordable Care Act
http://democrats.senate.gov/reform/patient-protection-affordable-care-act-as-passed.pdf

Reconciliation Bill
http://docs.house.gov/rules/hr4872/111_hr4872_amndsub.pdf

NACHC
http://www.nachc.com/healthreform.cfm

Kaiser Family Foundation
http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8061.pdf 

• In the Spring of 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a one-time grant of nearly $6 million to expand services at 25 of Oregon's community health centers. The money was made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, the federal economic stimulus package) and came as more Oregonians joined the ranks of the uninsured.
  
• The grants -- titled Increased Demand for Services grants -- will be used over the next two years to hire additional health care professional, increase hours of operation or expand health center services. HHS reports that the funds will allow centers to create or retain an estimate 120 jobs throughout Oregon and to serve an estimated additional 32,500 patients.
  
• In June 2009, the White House announced the next round of ARRA funding for Oregon CHCs. Under the Recovery Act Capital Improvement Program, the federal government will release $14.6 million to address immediate and pressing health center facility and equipment needs and increase access to health care for Oregonians.
• In December 2009, HHS awarded the final grants to community health centers under ARRA.  One Oregon CHC, Central City Concern, received a $9 million Facility Improvement Grant for construction and renovation projects. 

• The grants will help OPCA's health centers continue to serve our most vulnerable residents. But they should not be viewed as a solution to our centers' ongoing financial challenges.
  
• Navigating the ARRA funding process for community health centers: Visit the HHS website for comprehensive information at www.hhs.gov/recovery.
• These grants will support the construction, repair and renovation of health center sites. Oregon’s CHCs will use the funds to purchase new equipment, invest in health information technology systems, and adopt and expand the use of electronic health records.