Federally Qualified Health Centers

Federally Qualified Health Centers

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are nonprofit, consumer-directed corporations that provide high quality of care and cost-effective treatment to the underserved and the uninsured. FQHCs include Community Health Centers (CHCs), Migrant Health Centers, Health Care for the Homeless programs, Public Housing Primary Care programs, and Urban Indian and Tribal Health Centers. The approximately 93 million medically underserved people in the United States include those populations that are geographically, economically, and culturally challenged.

There are approximately 722 FQHCs, and 4,059 health center delivery sites in the United States. These centers are supported by federal health center grants, Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance payments, and state/local contributions.
The President's Health Center Initiative is a five-year $2.2 billion plan aimed at building 1,200 new health center delivery sites to accommodate 6 million new patients. This initiative identifies FQHCs as a cost-effective way to deliver health care to underserved and uninsured populations. Centers help control medical costs associated with chronic disease and decrease use of emergency room services for non-emergency purposes.
The use of FQHCs helps improve infant mortality rates, prenatal care, reduce low birthweight, and control chronic disease and disability.

For more information, visit the following Web sites at:

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/communityhc.htm
http://bphc.hrsa.gov
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030211.html

Return to Health Centers Main Page