As the Community Health Center Fund is only set to extend through March 31, a number of health centers have taken or are contemplating taking actions that will affect patient access, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report.
Here are six findings from the report.
1. Seven in ten health centers said they had taken or planned to take action to put off large expenditures or curtail expenses after facing reduced revenue, which included delaying or canceling capital projects or tapping into reserve funds.
2. Twenty percent of health centers said they implemented a hiring freeze and 4 percent reported they have laid off staff.
3. An additional 45 percent of health centers are considering a hiring freeze and 53 percent said they might lay off staff.
4. Although the survey indicated health centers appeared to focus on shorter-term actions that could be reversed if funding was restored, 3 percent of respondents had already taken steps to close one or more sites. An additional 36 percent said they are considering taking steps to close sites.
5. Over 40 percent indicated they might eliminate or reduce some enabling services for patients, such as case management, translation or transportation services.
6. Additionally, over one third of health centers reported they may have to reduce the dental, medical and/or mental health services they provide. Twenty-nine percent said they are considering cuts to addiction treatment services.