E&C Chair Rodgers, HELP Ranking Member Cassidy Statements on GAO Report Finding 60 Percent Increase in Community Health Center Revenue Since 2017
Washington D.C. – Today, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D., (R-LA) issued statements following the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that revealed total revenue for community health centers (CHCs) rose from $26.3 billion in 2017 to $42.9 billion in 2022, a more than 60 percent increase over that period. Additionally, GAO found that the largest source of revenue from 2018-2022 was Medicaid, accounting for over one-third of total revenue.
Up until today’s report, the most recent GAO data on CHC revenue had been from 2017. Last year, Chair Rodgers and Ranking Member Cassidy requested this report from GAO to better understand the funding streams that CHCs benefit from in order to inform the reauthorization of the CHC Fund.
“Health Centers provide critical services to Americans in rural and underserved areas, and it’s important that we continue to support them in a fiscally responsible manner,” said Chair Rodgers. “This information is crucial for us to more fully understand where funding shortfalls may be and what other means of funding CHCs are able to access.”
“When we began discussions over CHC funding in March of last year, I said we needed to understand the full picture regarding their financial state to appropriately address need. Knowing how much revenue is coming into CHCs in addition to the CHC Fund is crucial for this,” said Ranking Member Cassidy. “This report showing CHC revenue has increased by over 60 percent since 2017 provides valuable data to inform any future conversations.”
CLICK HERE to read the report.