Advocacy Talking Points - LAL Inclusion in Infrastructure Packages
Our friends at The Wright Center have put together a useful resource for our advocacy efforts. Below is a list of talking points for you to use in communicating with your representatives the need for LALs to be included in infrastructure funding aimed at community health centers. In late April, HRSA announced $1 billion in infrastructure funding for Section 330 FQHC grantees under the FY2021 American Rescue Plan - Construction & Capital Improvements funding opportunity. LALs are not eligible to apply for these funds.
The first stimulus grant offered to LALs (LAL-ECT grant) excluded alteration/renovation activities from allowable expenses. However, the second stimulus grant (ARP-LAL grant) offered to LALs allowed for funds to be used for alteration/renovation projects. Therefore, LALs have demonstrated their abilities to manage federally-funded infrastructure projects.
Be sure to check out the STIMULUS CALCULATOR to add up what you would have received as a Section 330 grantee. Share your story of how these funds would help your LAL health center respond to the pandemic.
If you need assistance identifying your representatives or setting up meetings, please consider using the PETITION page of our website as a resource and please don’t hesitate to reach out info@lookalikeadvocacy.com
Talking Points for Meetings with Congress re: FQHC Look-Alike Inclusion in Infrastructure Packages
Thank you so much for your time today and for all that you’ve done to advocate for community health center funding in the COVID relief packages over the past year.
The purpose of our meeting is to highlight the important work that federally-qualified health center (FQHC) look-alikes (LALs) do, and to elevate the need to have FQHC-LALs included in any community health center infrastructure packages being developed as well as any future legislation that provides funding to community health centers.
We’re happy to share some background information on FQHC-LALs, as we know many are not familiar with the differences between FQHC-LALs and FQHCs:
FQHC LALs provide comprehensive, wrap-around primary health care services to the U.S.’s most vulnerable populations regardless of their ability to pay.
FQHC LALs must meet the exact same quality of care and compliance requirements as fully-designated FQHCs as stipulated by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
FQHC LALs, however, differ from FQHCs in that they do not benefit from the robust Section 330 federal grant funding under the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) which fully deemed FQHCs receive.
While FQHC LALs operate in accordance with the very same stringent Health Center Program requirements of the PHSA and the HRSA Compliance Manual, money that is distributed from HRSA to Community Health Centers (CHCs) often leaves LALs out because LALs are not "grantees." In other words, LALs do not receive grant funding from HRSA in support of their operations while FQHCs do.
In the face of decreased patient volume, increased costs, and ever-evolving on-the-ground situations, LALs continue to serve patients in typically underserved areas, including providing COVID tests, evaluation and treatment, and vaccines. LALs do all of this without the robust Section 330 federal grant funding that FQHCs receive.
Be sure to share a personal story or example of how your FQHC-LAL has played a unique role in reaching underserved patients.
As Congress considers infrastructure proposals over the next several weeks and months, we know that CHCs are likely to be part of this plan.
Unfortunately, FQHC-LALs are often left out of CHC funding opportunities.
We hope that any future legislative language includes LALs to ensure access to quality care for the most underserved populations.
If you need any help with specific language to help CHCs, we’d be pleased to provide technical consulting on such language.
FQHC LALs and FQHCs have stepped up during this unprecedented time to ensure that underserved communities throughout the country have access to both traditional care and COVID-specific care (including tests, evaluation and treatment, and vaccines).
Providing further support for FQHC-LALs will allow for the most underserved patients to have greater access to these essential services.
Thank you, once again, for taking the time to speak with me/us today and listening to some of the challenges that LALs face in advocating for inclusion in community health center funding.
