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COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
POLICYMAKER UPDATE
JUNE 2023
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Investing in the Health Care Workforce - State Biennial Budget Priorities | |
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Bolstering our state’s workforce is a key priority across industries in this year’s biennial budget, and is especially acute in health care. Due to a wave of retirements and an increase in care needed thanks to an aging population, Wisconsin needs to double down on efforts to expand training pathways and address bottlenecks. In particular, WPHCA advocates for a focus on both the behavioral health workforce and dental providers.
WPHCA is promoting several budget initiatives:
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Increase investment by $1 million annually in the Community Health Center State Grant. These funds are used to improve access to preventative care in under-resourced communities. Since the fund was established, Community Health Centers have grown to serve nearly 300,000 patients statewide.
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Add Behavioral Health providers to Wisconsin’s State Loan Assistance Program, which is administered by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health. Behavioral Health professionals are excluded from the program by statute, though they would be eligible for 1:1 matching federal funds. WPHCA recommends that Wisconsin add behavioral health providers and increase funding for the program by $500,000 annually.
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Provide state support to Area Health Education Centers, regional non-profits that are tasked with connecting students to primary care professions in health professions shortage areas. State support would allow AHECs to focus on high school learners early in their education, make connections to training programs, and reduce barriers to entering health fields. AHECs are primarily federally funded, but are limited in spending only 10% of their funding on high school students. Learn more about AHECs here.
Policy solutions related to address licensing challenges must also be paired with increased staff capacity at the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) for both call center and health credentialing staff. WPHCA supports DSPS’s request to authorize position authority for additional full-time staff to relieve bottlenecks and focus on system transformation to ensure that every qualified provider is licensed and working in a timely manner.
Read WPHCA’s 2021 Workforce Issue Brief: Workforce Issue Brief August 2022 - WPHCA | Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association
Interested in discussing budget motions? Let’s connect! WPHCA is engaged with Assembly and Senate sponsors for the above initiatives in the DHS and UW System budgets. Contact Richelle Andrae for details.
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WPHCA appreciates the leadership of Sens. Ballweg and Felzkowski and Reps. Rozar and Kurtz who introduced legislation to provide a full year of Medicaid coverage for pregnant women. (SB 110 / AB 114)
Most U.S. states already provide this coverage, including Missouri and Alaska which were just added this month. In Wisconsin, coverage only extends 60 days after the birth of a child. Evidence shows that maintaining high-quality, consistent coverage at this complex time is important in promoting health not only for the mother but her infant, also.
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In Wisconsin, 70 state legislators (yes, 70!) have signed on to co-sponsor the legislation, and a hearing was held in the Senate Committee on Insurance in late March. Over 40 organizations are registered in support. Please join them in supporting SB 110 / AB 114 if you have not signed on already. Consistent, affordable coverage is essential to ensure the health of both mom and baby. | |
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Did you know? In 2021, Wisconsin Community Health Centers served 278,894 patients through over 1 million patient visits, including:
- 154,488 Behavioral Health Visits
- 329,335 Dental Visits
Each year, Community Health Centers submit data on the visits they provide and other clinical and patient measures. WPHCA compiles this information in an annual Uniform Data Set brochure, which is now available.
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Health Centers In The News | |
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KCHC
Kenosha Community Health Center (KCHC) recently concluded their Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile Program for the 2022-23 school year. Seal-A-Smile (SAS) is a program to improve the oral health of children by providing school-based dental sealants.
Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile is part of the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin. The program started in 1997 and doubled in size in 2009 thanks to a generous matching grant program from Delta Dental.
KCHC brought the SAS program to 26 schools this year and will be adding 8 more schools for the upcoming 2023-24 school year for a total of 34 schools. The SAS team evaluated elementary school students during 3,059 appointments and prescribed sealants for 2,722 students. The program also educates kids on the importance of good oral hygiene and how to maintain healthy teeth all year round.
Read More
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CHS Newsletter
Darlington Area Community Health center and Family Connections of Southwest Wisconsin are both excited to announce a new partnership!
Family Connections of Southwest Wisconsin will begin offering services every week on Wednesdays between 8:00AM and 4:30PM. These services are open to all and no appointment is necessary - they offer an array of services to prepare, educate and support families and childcare providers.
The Darlington Area Community Health Center has expanded to to include behavioral healthcare services. CHS continues to offer both in person and virtual counseling and virtual psychology services.
Psychiatric services will be available virtually two days per week, and therapy services will be available Monday thru Friday.
Interpretation services for individuals whose primary language is Spanish are also provided.
Read More
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Spotlight on Medicaid Unwinding | |
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Unwinding is the term used by our federal partners to describe the steps for state Medicaid agencies to replace temporary policies established during the COVID-19 emergency with regular eligibility, enrollment, and benefits management processes. Wisconsin’s Unwinding goals include:
- Implementing a successful return to routine operations for our programs
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Keeping Wisconsinites covered, whether through a state program, insurance from an employer, or a plan from HealthCare.gov
Over half (59%) of Wisconsin Community Health Center patients are Medicaid enrollees; this includes both children and adults. The state is currently in the process of Medicaid benefit redeterminations of over 1.6 million enrollees from June 2023 through March of 2024. If enrollees do not successfully complete paperwork, even if they are still eligible, they will become uninsured. Communicating to constituents and community members to ensure a smooth transition to other coverage or continued Medicaid enrollment for eligible members is essential. The Department of Health Services has a useful toolkit which includes sample social media content and other resources.
Community Health Centers will be playing an important role through their outreach and enrollment divisions to help ensure that patients understand the process and have a trusted place to ask questions and get assistance in navigating redeterminations. Community Health Centers are working both within their clinics as well as providing outreach to community members to provide accurate information and knowledgable assistance.
WPHCA also welcomes questions from policymakers on unwinding policies and impacts. Please contact Sashi Gregory to discuss the redetermination process, or refer patients to their local Community Health Center to learn about options.
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Strengthening Wisconsin's Child Care Infrastructure | |
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WPHCA is pleased to partner with the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) to support Raising Wisconsin, an initiative to bolder the state’s child care industry. High-quality, accessible, affordable child care is an essential component of a healthy community. The Coalition is calling for a significant investment in Child Care Counts which would provide direct support to child care agencies.
Without the support, which started as a federal infusion during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s child care network will become insolvent. Even with significant relief funding, programs still struggle to find and retain staff and remain at a critical breaking point. Without financial support, programs would have been forced to close or reduce their availability at even higher rates. Relief funding expires in January 2024. The result of a looming fiscal cliff. Many families struggle to find and maintain care – the state is 50% child care deserts, 70% in rural areas.
Ensuring a stable, affordable child care system is essential to employers as lack of accessible child care is often cited as a key concern for hiring.
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Wisconsin’s Community Health Centers receive limited federal investment to support the model of providing care for all individuals regardless of their insurance status. These funds partially offset the cost of care for uninsured populations, non-billable services, and keep sliding fee scales low for self-pay patients. There are more than 1,400 Community Health Centers nationwide. Section 330 funding is the primary federal income source, which will reach a funding cliff on October 1, 2023. Community Health Centers appreciate bipartisan efforts to extend Community Health Center funding to ensure stable programming and services.
Funding for the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program is also essential to building pathways for a robust primary care workforce.
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WPHCA is proud to serve Wisconsin's 19 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) also known as Community Health Centers (CHCs). Community Health Centers around the state have been deploying every tool available to continue providing care to patients throughout the pandemic. This newsletter includes information on Community Health Centers' priorities, resources, and stories from patients and clinics.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to WPHCA with any questions or to request additional information and constituent support to identify primary care providers. Find your local clinic here.
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THANK YOU!
If you’re interested in discussing any of the legislation above or other policy priorities, please connect with WPHCA’s Government Relations Specialist:
Richelle Andrae
randrae@wphca.org
(608) 571-6168
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