This policy brief provides an overview of health centers, with a special focus on the relationship between health centers and private health insurance. The analysis of 10 years of national data reveals that health centers do not receive adequate reimbursement from private insurers to cover the costs of treating commercially insured patients. The cumulative shortfalls jeopardize the ability of health centers to fulfill their mission of providing access to care for low-income patients. Prepared for Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.