As Congress moves forward to advance a stop-gap short-term spending bill that would keep the federal government running until March, community health centers (CHCs) face continued uncertainty over sustainable long-term funding. The latest data note authored by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Foundation Research Collaborative provides new data on the current financial status of the nation’s community health centers and the potential consequences of funding delays.
Although health centers rely on a mix of revenue streams to support operations, federal funds account for 19% of CHC revenue overall and are critical to sustaining community health centers in resource-poor communities. Federal grants enable CHCs to support care for uninsured patients, provide services for insured low-income patients who need care that is not covered, and cover costs related to expanding access.
While the proportion of CHC revenue that is accounted for by federal funding varies by health center, federal funding at any level is critical to CHC revenue, margins, and operations. Healthy operating margins are essential to sustain health center programs and services and allow investment in strengthening services and expanding access.
Our analysis finds that the median health center operating margin is just 3.5%, while more than half of all community health centers nationwide - 54% - operate with margins below 5%. Nationally, 11 million people were served by health centers operating with negative margins. In several states, where the majority of health centers currently report margins below 5%, the core of the health care safety net is in jeopardy. This analysis underscores the urgency of stable, long-term federal community health center funding and the critical need for increased support.
The data note is available here, Community Health Centers in Financial Jeopardy Without Sufficient Federal Funding