Health Center Bills Unanimously Approved By Senate and House Committees
OKPCA request bills HB 1071 and HB 1690 were approved by the House Public Health Committee on Wednesday, and SB 168 was passed by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. All bills passed with no "no" votes. Thank you to everyone who advocated for these bills on behalf of community health centers!
HB 1071, sponsored by Rep. Boatman (R-Tulsa), would allow health centers to provide substance use disorder services without going through the ODMHSAS certification process. Click here for a one-page fact sheet on HB 1071. HB 1690, sponsored by Rep. Newton (R-Cherokee), would exempt health centers from complying with the Open Meeting Act. Click here for a one-page fact sheet on HB 1690.
SB 168, sponsored by Sen. Brenda Stanley (R-Midwest City), would add community health centers to the list of providers types exempt from receiving certification from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) in order to make it easier for health centers to provide medication assisted treatment services to patients with substance use disorders. Language supported by ODMHSAS would continue to require health centers to maintain a certification requirement for more advanced services such as inpatient care (Levels of Care 2.1 – 4 as described in the American Society of Addiction Medicine Criteria) that are not normally part of a health center’s scope of services. Click here for a one-page fact sheet on SB 168.
HB 1071 and HB 1690 now head to the House, and SB 168 will move to the Senate for consideration.
House to Vote on COVID Stimulus Package
The House Budget Committee advanced the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan on Monday, and the bill is expected to be passed by the House on Friday. Read more.
Sections of the bill that relate to community health centers include:
- $7.6B in emergency supplemental funding for CHCs to cover pandemic-related costs, including administering vaccines to underserved populations
- $4.4B to expand community health centers by building new sites and expanding services, including mental health and substance use disorder, to better serve current patients and the newly uninsured as Americans lose their jobs as a result of the pandemic
- $8B to expand the public health workforce by supporting grants to public health organizations and community health centers, with incentives to hire individuals from the communities they serve
NACHC Advocates for Increase in Medicare and Medicaid Vaccine Reimbursement Rates
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and 60+ advocacy organizations sent a letter calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish Medicare and Medicaid vaccine reimbursement policies that ensure health centers have the resources they need. Politico Pulse reported on this letter.
CMS announced last week will be raising payment for Medicare telehealth distant site services to $99.45, up from the current $92.03.
HHS Secretary Nominee Becerra Expresses Support for Health Centers During Hearing
At Tuesday's Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing for HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Becerra stated that he “absolutely” supports “a significant growth of FQHCs” and “expanding the National Health Service Corps.” He also “wholeheartedly” agreed that policy changes made to expand telehealth during COVID should continue after the pandemic ends. Watch and read more on C-SPAN.
White House Announces Mask Distribution through FQHCs
On Wednesday, the White House announced it will be sending 25 million masks to community health centers and food pantries beginning next month to ensure that low-income individuals have affordable access to this protection. The three-ply cloth masks will be produced under CDC guidelines for cloth masks. Both adult and child sizes will be provided in a variety of appealing colors. Stay tuned for more information!