The State Senate budget debate is occurring this week. The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, of which Fenway Health is an active member, worked with allies in the Senate to introduce four key amendments related to community health centers.
Amendments #353 and #555 – Filed by Filed by Senator Chang-Diaz; Filed by Senators Brownsberger and Cyr
Both of these amendments would add funding to the Community Health Center funding line. These are flexible dollars for health centers to use for community-responsive care that is otherwise not reimbursable.
Amendment #406 – Filed by Senator L’Italien
This amendment would create a “Community Health Center Transformation Fund,” which would provide resources to address the operational and workforce needs of health centers, as well as needed financial re-positioning.
Amendment #456 – Filed by Senator Barrett
This amendment would fund loan repayment for primary care providers (physicians, NPs, and PAs) at Community Health Centers. Loan repayment acts as an important tool for CHCs to help recruit and retain new clinical staff.
Amendment #378 – Filed by Senator Dorcena Forry
Also, because the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means budget cut the HIV/AIDS Line Item (4512-0103) by $2.3 million, Project ABLE (AIDS Budget Legislative Effort) is supporting an amendment, filed by Senator Dorcena Forry (D-Boston), to restore the line item to level-funding. Project ABLE is led by the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Fenway Health, and other partner organizations.
ACTION ITEM: Please contact your state senator TODAY, and ask for support for Amendment # 378, which restores the HIV/AIDS Line Item (4512-0103) to level-funding. (Such state funding for HIV services could be even more important if President Trump’s proposed budget is adopted. The Trump Administration proposes cutting CDC HIV prevention funding by 17%, and also cutting the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program by $59 million.) Also please ask your state senator to support Amendments #353, #406, #456 and #555, which would support the critical work of community health centers in Massachusetts.
Find out who your state senator is by going to https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Find the contact information for your state senator by going to https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Members/Senate
Thank you for supporting community health centers and HIV services!