Community Health Centers
Other Community Health Center Pages
- Migrant Health
- Homeless Health
- Public Housing House
- Native Hawaiian Health
Topic Outline
Overview
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are public or private nonprofit organizations that receive funds from the US Bureau of Primary Health Care under section 330 of the Public Health Services Act.
In 2010, the 1,124 health centers receiving grants under Section 330 of the Public Health Services Act provided care to 19.5 million patients in more than 7,000 locations. Of these individuals, 7.3 million were uninsured, 7.5 million were insured by Medicaid, and 1.45 million were on Medicare.
Some CHCs also receive specific funding to focus on certain special populations:
- Migrant and seasonal farmworkers
- individuals and families experiencing homelessness
- those living in public housing
- Native Hawaiians
Analysis
- Leighton Ku, Peter Shin, Emily Jones, and Brian Bruen. TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS INTO PATIENT-CENTERED MEDICAL HOMES: THE ROLE OF PAYMENT REFORM. George Washington University Department of Health Policy, September 2011.
Resources
- Health Centers Consolidation Act of 1996, Pub L 104-299, amending Sec. 330 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 USC 254b.
- National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). America’s Health Centers. Fact Sheet #0109 (March 2009).
- Community health centers (Health Affairs search)