SCHUMER ANNOUNCES CRITICAL LEGISLATION – TO FUND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AROUND NYS –HAS CLEARED LAST HURDLE IN CONGRESS & BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW; SCHUMER PUSHED BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO AVOID A CUT IN FUNDING, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS FOR QUALITY OF CARE ACROSS NY STATE
Funds Will Allow Community Health Centers to Continue Improving Access to Critical Health and Primary Care Services for Residents Across NY State
Schumer Previously Pushed Legislation to Be Included in Must-Pass Legislation to Avoid ‘Primary Care Funding Cliff’ That Faced These Community Health Centers if Funding Were to Expire
Schumer: Funding Extension Means NY Can Keep an Essential Piece of Our Health Care in Place
Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that critical legislation to provide funding to Community Health Centers around the state has cleared Congress and been signed into law. This funding, called the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015, will allow New York’s community health centers to continue improving access to critical care for residents through 2017. There are an estimated 1,302 federally funded health centers nationwide that serve 22.7 million patients across 9,518 sites. In New York alone, there are 60 community health centers, including 600 sites around the state that provide critical primary care for residents. These funds will enable the health centers to improve this access to comprehensive primary health care services as they continue to also provide oral health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and vision services.
“These much-needed funds will allow 60 community health centers throughout New York, including 600 sites around the state, improve healthcare access for many local communities,” said Senator Schumer. “Specifically, these funds will increase access to primary care services by enabling these health center to hire new staff, stay open longer, and expand care to areas like oral health and vision services. I was happy to support this funding extension especially the potential for increased jobs for local area residents and health professionals. This is great news for New York State and I will continue to fight for this kind of funding in the future so that New Yorkers may continue to benefit from increased care and jobs in the future.”
“The Community Health Care Association of NYS (CHCANYS) extends its sincere appreciation to Senator Schumer and the NYS Congressional Delegation,” said Elizabeth Swain, CEO and President of CHCANYS. “Senator Schumer’s leadership and unwavering support for community health centers was instrumental in averting the Primary Care Funding Cliff. We look forward to working with Congress and the Administration to deliver on the promise of making access to affordable, high-quality primary care a reality for millions of patients.”
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