With community health center fund expiration looming, health center services at risk

If Congress fails to renew a critical fund for community health centers, which is due to expire at the end of the current federal fiscal year on September 30, these safety net providers stand to lose 70 percent of their federal grant funding by 2018. As a result, an estimated 9 million people could lose access to health care, according to a new infographic produced by researchers at the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at the George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH).

The infographic depicts what is at stake for medically underserved communities nationally if the Community Health Center Fund is not renewed. This crucial federal fund supports the nation's 1,367 community health centers, which served nearly 26 million people at more than 10,400 sites in 2016. Like the Children's Health Insurance Program, which is also set to expire at the end of this month, the health center program enjoys broad bipartisan support.

The infographic, "The Community Health Center Fund: What's at Risk?" is freely available at the Milken Institute School of Public Health's website.

Provided by George Washington University