In addition to federal grant support, community health centers receive many other benefits including:
- Access to additional federal grant funds to support:
- Expansions (adding dental, mental health and pharmacy services, satellite clinics, etc.)
- Capital improvements
- Access to Federal Torts Claims Act (FTCA) Coverage
- Permits health centers, officers and staff to be “Federal Employees” for purpose of medical malpractice
- Covers medical, surgical, dental & related activities (within the scope of employment & federally approve scope of project)
- Enhanced Medicare Reimbursement
- Access to “first dollar” reimbursement of services rendered to Medicare beneficiaries (deductible is waived)
- Reimbursed per encounter based on costs (Medicare Cost Report)
- Reimbursed fee-for-service for diagnostics and radiology
- Enhanced Medicaid Reimbursement/Prospective Payment System (PPS)
- Reimbursed based on costs reported on Medicare Cost Report.
- Each state develops its own methodology to adjust costs reported to Medicare.
- Rates established and agreed to by health centers
- Rates increased annually based on Medicare Economic (inflation) Index (MEI).
- Access to National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Providers
- NHSC providers receive educational loan repayment benefits if they agree to serve in an underserved area for at least two years
- NHSC providers may be MDs, mid-level providers, dentists, behavioral health (psychiatry, psychology)
- Accessible if health center's service area is designated a Health Professional Shortage Area (“HPSA”) and meet score criteria
- Access to Discounted Pharmaceuticals
- Vaccines for Children Program
- Access to favorable drug pricing under Section 340B of the PHS Act
- Eligible to participate in the Pfizer Sharing the Care Program – dispenses free meds to qualified patients through FQHC pharmacies.
