Our Story

We are patients, board members, providers, support staff, and administrators of not-for-profit community health centers across the United States.

We belong to a network of over 1,400 Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) who adhere to high standards of clinical, financial, and administrative performance. Governed by a patient-majority Board of Directors, we dedicate our efforts to serving vulnerable populations. All are welcome to receive care and no one is turned away for inability to pay for services or lack of insurance. FQHCs serve over 29 million Americans at over 11k clinics across the United States.

To offset the costs of serving uninsured and public insurances, FQHCs receive:

1. Higher rates of reimbursement for serving Medicare and Medicaid patients

2. Base grant funding, quality incentive awards, and access to supplemental, capital investment, and emergency funds under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA)

3. Free malpractice coverage by extension of the PHSA

4. Participation in the 340B reduced drug pricing program

There are two types of FQHCs: Grantees and Look-Alikes. As of 2021, there are over 1,300 FQHC grantees in operation across the United States and just under 100 Look-Alikes, comprising the network approximately 1,400 FQHCs.

FQHC grantees have been in operation since the mid-1960s, established under Section 330 of the PHSA. Oftentimes, FQHC grantees are called “330s” or “330 grantees” in reference to their statutes. Look-Alikes were created in 1990 to expand the FQHC program in a time when congressional funding was unavailable.

Look-Alikes fall under Section 1905 of the Social Security Act. They are not eligible to receive or compete for congressionally-appropriated funds set aside for 330s under the PHSA ($9.9 billion in FY 2019) because they fall under Social Security. To date, Social Security has not budgeted a comparable pool of funding for Look-Alikes.

A new 330 grantee receives a base grant of $650,000 for three years. They also receive access to supplemental grants (portions of which roll into their base grant), annual quality incentive awards awards, free malpractice insurance under FTCA, and eligibility to compete for service expansion and capital funding opportunities. The average base grant for an existing 330 grantee in 2019 was $2.8 million. Both grantees and Look-Alikes are held to the same quality and compliance standards.

Because 330s and Look-Alikes are administered by the same federal entities they are often lumped together when speaking to the successes of the FQHC program, and need to sustain and/or expand FQHC funding, regardless that discussions of funding pertain to 330s and not to Look-Alikes.

The difference between 330s and Look-Alikes is often overlooked by politicians, who assume by funding 330 health centers they are also passing funds to Look-Alikes.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the $1.9 billion set aside for FQHCs in CPRSAA and CARES Act relief funds were given to 330s, not to Look-Alikes. Only when Look-Alikes banded together and spoke out were they able to secure $17 million in CARES Act funds, awarded to just 78 of them in July of 2020.

Through their advocacy efforts to date, Look-Alikes have secured consideration for funding under the American Rescue Plan (ARP). ARP Look-Alike funding has yet to be announced.

Last Update: 4/2/2021

Our Mission

On November 26, 1960, CBS News aired a documentary titled Harvest of Shame. The film, narrated by the great Edward R. Murrow exposed the harsh living and working conditions of migrant farm workers in the southeast United States. This film shocked the American public into action, demanding their representatives act immediately. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed the Migrant Health Act - which in turn created the modern community health center model.

In 1965, the first two community health centers were funded - a rural model in Mound Bayou, MS and an urban model in Boston, MA. The rural model served migrant farm workers whereas the urban model served residents of the Columbia Point Public Housing Projects. The two individuals tasked with developing and overseeing these programs - Jack Geiger and Count Gibson - stated the community health center has a “revolutionary aim” in responding to the “root causes of morbidity and mortality among extremely disadvantaged populations.”

We are deeply committed to serving our patients and our communities. That is why we are truly appreciative of the FQHC program which has received bipartisan support since its inception. Amidst a devastating pandemic that is devouring our drastically underdeveloped and unprepared public health system - we ask that the federal government and its program administrators reflect on and return to the revolutionary aim of the community health center program. We ask for their support, to use their administrative authorities to grant FQHC Look-Alikes funding and demonstrate their commitment to equity.

Our Impact

FQHC Look-Alikes comprise a network of just under 100 community health centers across the United States. We offer primary medical services, dental, mental health and substance use disorder services, interpretation and translation, transportation, insurance enrollment assistance, OB/GYN services, family planning services, lab, x-ray, chronic disease case management services, health education, and so much more. We do this all regardless a patient’s inability to pay and regardless their source or lack of insurance.

As of 2020, 87 Look-Alikes served:

• 679,010 patients

• 29% children and 11% elderly

• 62% minority

• 63% living in poverty

• 23% best served in a language other than English

• 12% uninsured

• 53% Medicaid and 13% Medicare

• Over 8,500 experiencing homelessness

• Over 11,500 migrant or seasonal agricultural workers

• Over 9,000 veterans

We do not receive a base grant from the federal government to offset the costs of providing care our most vulnerable populations. These grants are essential to sustaining community health centers in times of crisis - such as now, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

We do not want to close our doors to the community due to financial constraints. Help us secure emergency response funding so we can prepare and respond to this emergency, so we may continue our work in the community and providing a quality, affordable, and accessible source of primary and preventive medical services to those who need it most.