Bethesda, MD — One in 10 Americans relies on Community Health Centers (CHCs) for primary care, and now a record number of lawmakers want to ensure that care continues.
Bipartisan coalitions of 288 House members (the largest number in at least 10 years) and 57 Senators have signed letters requesting robust FY 2026 funding for the 1,500 CHCs operating over 16,000 locations nationwide. The level of bipartisan House support represents the largest bipartisan backing in that chamber for CHCs’ funding in at least a decade.
The letters, led by Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) underscore CHCs’ impact across rural, urban, frontier, and suburban communities.
“Today, thanks to persistent support from Congress, there are nearly 1,500 health center organizations delivering care at over 16,000 locations in every state and territory, including through almost 1,100 mobile vans,” the lawmakers wrote. “Ten million rural residents, nine million children, nearly four million seniors, and 419,000 veterans call a health center their medical home.”
The lawmakers continued, “Each year health centers save the overall health system billions by reducing the burden of chronic disease through prevention and early intervention…Despite the complexity of their patient population, health centers consistently achieve positive health outcomes for the people they serve, surpassing national quality benchmarks.”
The push for funding comes at a critical time. CHCs are confronting potential Medicaid changes and coping with mounting financial pressures. In 2023, CHCs’ average margins were negative 2.2%, and 42% of CHCs reported 90 days or less cash on hand. Meanwhile, demand for affordable primary care continues rising as 100 million Americans report difficulty accessing primary care. A new study also documents that access to CHCs saves lives and maintains population health.
Current CHC funding expires on September 30, making congressional action urgent as the appropriations process progresses.