Introduction
If you are looking for a HRSA-supported Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) please go to Find a Health Center where you can search for FQHCs by address, state and county.
Federally qualified
health centers (FQHCs) include all organizations receiving grants
under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, certain tribal organizations, and
FQHC Look-Alikes. FQHCs qualify for enhanced reimbursement from
Medicare and Medicaid, as well as other benefits. FQHCs must serve
an underserved area or population, offer a sliding fee scale, provide
comprehensive services, have an ongoing quality assurance program,
and have a governing board of directors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
Bureau of Primary Health Care Health Center Program
Web site
Information and resources for the community health centers program. Includes information about current and past funding, program requirements, and the benefits of health center status.
CMS Federally Qualified Health Centers
Web site
Links to all Medicare Fee-for-Service FQHC specific information from CMS.
CMS Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC)
Web site
Provides information on the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) project, implementation strategies, who the RACs are, RAC jurisdictions, RAC expansion and provider outreach schedules, and FAQs.
CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum
Web site
Provides information on a series of CMS forums addressing rural health issues. Covers Rural Health Clinic (RHC), Community Access Hospital (CAH) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) issues, as well as some inclusion of other questions and concerns that occur in clinical practice pertaining to other CMS payment systems that also extends into these settings. Includes call-in instructions for the next call and how to register for the mailing list.
Community HealthCorps
Web site
Promotes health care for America's underserved. Works to increase access to health care, provide health education, support use of health care services, and recruit and develop volunteers to support community health centers.
Dental Volunteer
Database
Searchable database of dental health volunteering opportunities in the United States and abroad. Individuals can search for volunteer opportunities and organizations can use the site to seek dental health volunteers.
Developing and Implementing a Discount Fee Schedule
Web site
Basic information for clinics and health centers about developing and implementing
a sliding fee schedule for low-income populations.
Directory of Primary Care Offices (PCO)
Web site
Lists contact information for each state's Primary Care Office (PCO). PCOs represent the needs of the underserved populations and the providers who serve them. These offices can provide information on Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver programs, loan repayment programs, and recruitment and retention.
Directory of State and Regional Primary Care Associations
Web site
Address, phone, email and web addresses for state and regional Primary Care Associations (PCAs). PCAs work to promote, expand, and optimize access to primary care.
EHR Selection Toolkit for Community Health Centers
Web site
Provides a list of criteria to review with vendors of EHR systems to insure the unique needs of community health centers (CHCs) are met.
Find a Health Center
Database
The Bureau of Primary Health Care Service Delivery Sites tool allows users to search for health centers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and other Bureau of Primary Health Care service delivery sites, by location. These health centers provide free and low-cost health services. Services include primary medical, obstetrical and gynecological, dental, mental health and substance abuse care, other types of medical and support services.
FQHC Look-Alike Program
Web site
Information on the Federally Qualified Health Centers Look-Alike program, including eligibility, program requirements, benefits, and contacts for more information.
Health Center Program: Policy Information Notices & Program Assistance Letters
Web site
Links to Bureau of Primary Health Care Program Information Notices (PINs) and Program Assistance Letters (PALs) from 1994-present.
Health Center Program: Requirements
Web site
A summary of the set of requirements for both Federally Qualified Health Centers, which receive Federal funding, and Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes, which do not receive Federal funding.
Health Centers State-By-State Data
Web site
Provides state-level data on Federally Qualified Health Centers' patients, services provided, staff, patient visits, and costs of care. Includes state maps showing FQHC locations.
HealthCare Volunteer
Database
Searchable database of health care volunteering opportunities in the United States and abroad. Individuals can search for volunteer opportunities and organizations can use the site to seek health care volunteers.
HHS.gov/Recovery
Web site
Provides information and resources on the programs invested in improving health and human services supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
HRSA Grants
Web site
Provides details on HRSA's competitive grant offerings for the current fiscal year. Also known as the HRSA Preview.
Medically Underserved Area/Medically Underserved Population (MUA/MUP) Database
Database
Allows searching by state, county, or ID number. Includes designation status and date.
Medicare Contracting Reform
Web site
Information and resources concerning the Part A/Part B Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), which will replace the current fiscal intermediaries and carriers and handle administration of both the Medicare Part A and Part B programs in specified geographic regions.
Quality Improvement & Risk Management Training
Tutorial
Five training modules on integrating quality and risk management led by George Rust, MD, MPH, deputy director of the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Rural FP Community
Web site
Information and resources for family physicians, health care providers and others who serve the nation's rural families.
Rural Health Research: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Shortage Designation: HPSAs, MUAs & MUPs
Web site
Provides information about health care shortage designations: Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas and Populations (MUAs/MUPs). Includes information on how to apply for these designations and how to find shortage areas.
State Health Facts Online
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, household income, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons. Includes statistics by state on medical malpractice and Medicare.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
Access Capital: New Opportunities for Meeting America's Primary Care Infrastructure Needs
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Examines why significant investments in health center infrastructure are critical to meeting rising numbers of medically underserved and uninsured people.
Date: 03 / 2008
Access Denied: A Look at America's Medically Disenfranchised
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Reports results of a study that found inadequate access to a primary care physicians due to shortages of these physicians in certain communities. Includes some rural-specific information on health care access.
Date: 2007
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Frequently Asked Questions
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Answers initial questions about several sections of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) with the most direct impact on health centers and the patients they serve. Includes contact information for NACHC staff who can provide additional guidance.
Date: 2009
Announcement of Medicare Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) Payment Rate Increases
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Provides general information about payment rate increases for Medicare Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Journal citation: MLN Matters: Information for Medicare Providers Issue MM6218
Date: 10 / 2008
Area Health Education Center and Community Health Center Collaboration: Effective Partnerships for the Recruitment of Health Professionals
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Describes ways that Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) can work together to recruit and retain health professionals. Includes examples of AHEC-CHC partnerships in several states.
Date: 2006
Clinician's Handbook on the Federal Tort Claims Act
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Written for Health Center clinicians who are (or will be) receiving Federal Tort Claims Act malpractice protection. Intended to provide a fundamental understanding of the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Date: 2001
CMS Issues Proposed Changes in Conditions of Participation Requirements and Payment Provisions for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Proposed rule to update certification and participation regulations and payment provisions for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Date: 06 / 2008
Code of Federal Regulations. 42 CFR 491: Certification of Certain Health Facilities
Establishes the conditions Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers must meet to qualify for reimbursement under Medicare, as well as those that Rural Health Clinics must meet to qualify for reimbursement under Medicaid.
Date: 2007
Comparison of the Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center Programs
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Provides a general comparison of the financial
components of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center
(FQHC) programs under Medicare and Medicaid.
Date: 06 / 2006
Dentist Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Presents results for dentists from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Provides information on dentist vacancy rates by rural and urban location. Compares dentist vacancies to other health care provider vacancies at FQHCs.
Date: 12 / 2005
Developing Rural Federally Qualified Health Center and Critical Access Hospital Collaboration in Appalachia: A Demonstration Project
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Examines the process of an Federally Qualified Health Center and a rural hospital coming together to consider joint activities that would mutually benefit them and their community.
Date: 10 / 2007
Family Physician Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Presents results for family physicians from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Provides information on family physician vacancy rates by rural and urban location. Compares family physician vacancies to other physician vacancies at FQHCs.
Date: 11 / 2005
Federal Community Health Centers and State Health Policy: A Primer for Policy Makers
Author(s): Mary Takach
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
Contains an overview of federally funded community health centers to assist state policy makers in their state’s health system plans.
Date: 06 / 2008
Federally Qualified Health Center Fact Sheet
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
A general summary about FQHCs that includes a list of helpful rural health websites.
Date: 04 / 2008
Fundamentals of Community Health Centers
Author(s): Jessamy Taylor
Sponsoring organization: National Health Policy Forum
Describes the history of the community health center (CHC) program. Discusses policy issues influencing health centers, such as Medicaid payment policies and medically underserved area designations. Also discusses recent efforts to expand the CHC program.
Date: 08 / 2004
Health Center Expansion and Recruitment Survey 2004: Results by Health and Human Services Regions and Health Center Geography
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, L. Gary Hart
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Reports findings from the national study of health centers staffing, recruitment and retention. Provides information by HHS region, urban and rural geography, and national overall estimates. Includes 118 graphs of selected survey results.
Date: 03 / 2007
Health Center Program: Federal Tort Claims Act
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
Provides information regarding the medical malpractice liability protection through the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) to HRSA-supported health centers.
Date: 05 / 2008
Health Centers and Rural Clinics: State and Federal Implementation Issues for Medicaid's New Payment System
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Reviews states' implementation of
the prospective payment
system (PPS) for Medicaid
payments to Federally Qualified
Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural
Health Clinics (RHCs). Includes recommendations for CMS on guidance and oversight for states.
Date: 06 / 2005
Health Centers: America's Primary Care Safety Net Reflections on Success, 2002-2007
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
Provides an overview of the Federal health center program.
Date: 06 / 2008
Health Professional Shortage Areas: Problems Remain With Primary Care Shortage Area Designation System
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Reviews the number and location of Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and federal programs that use HPSA designations to allocate resources or provide benefits. Discusses available research on HPSA designation criteria and methodology. Addresses the impact of a 2002 provision that automatically designates federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and certain rural health clinics (RHCs) as facility HPSAs.
Date: 10 / 2006
Improving the Management of Chronic Disease at Community Health Centers
Author(s): Bruce E. Landon, LeRoi S. Hicks, A. James O'Malley, et. al.
Details a study to improve chronic disease care for community health center (CHC) patients that resulted in "significantly improved" processes of care for asthma and diabetes.
Date: 03 / 2007
Medicare Advantage Organizations Offering PFFS Plans: Payment of Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Clarification of CMS payment requirements to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) under private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans.
Date: 09 / 2007
Medicare Benefit Policy Manual: Chapter 13 - Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Services
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Provides definitions of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) programs. Includes definitions of physician services and other services.
Medicare Billing Information for Rural Providers, Suppliers, and Physicians
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Medicare billing charts and information on where to submit claims for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Skilled Nursing Facilities, Home Health Agencies, Critical Access Hospitals, and Swing Bed services.
Date: 10 / 2008
Medicare Claims Processing Manual: Chapter 9 - Rural Health Clinics / Federally Qualified Health Centers
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Describes the differences between Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Identifies the rules and regulations for processing Medicare claims.
Primary Care Access: An Essential Building Block of Health Reform
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Examines why primary care can be the foundation of any health care reform effort, and how
building on the success of Community Health Centers could anchor primary care health access in communities that have been unable to sustain sources of stable, high quality health care.
Date: 03 / 2009
Program Information Notice 2007-16: Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Coverage for Health Center Program Grantees Responding to Emergencies
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
Clarifies the scope of Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) coverage for FTCA-deemed Health Center Program grantees during an emergency.
Date: 2007
Public Health Service Act, Section 330
Section 330 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act defines the requirements for Health Centers. Title 42 of the U.S. Code, Chapter 6A is the Public Health Service Act, and
section 254b is the equivalent of Section 330 of the PHS Act.
Registered Nurse Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers: Project Summary
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Discusses the registered nurse (RN) vacancy rate in federally funded health centers, which varies by degree of rurality.
Date: 12 / 2006
Results of the 2004 Health Center Expansion and Recruitment Survey for Health Centers: Analyses for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI States)
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, L. Gary Hart
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Presents a subset of the findings from
the larger national study of Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) staffing needs of FQHCs located in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) overall and by urban and rural geography.
Date: 11 / 2006
Rural Community Health Centers: Building Creative Partnerships to Meet the Workforce Challenge
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Reports on the second meeting of the National Rural Task Force making recommendations to the NRHA the special needs of rural providers and to promote the long term growth and substance or rural health centers.
Date: 07 / 2008
Shortages of Medical Personnel at Community Health Centers
Author(s): Roger A. Rosenblatt, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Thomas Curtin, L. Gary Hart
Discusses staffing shortages at Community Health Centers (CHCs) in rural and urban locations and how these workforce shortages may impact efforts to expand the CHC program.
Journal citation: JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association Volume 295 Issue 9 Pages: 1042-1049
Date: 03 / 2006
Sketch of Community Health Centers: Chart Book 2009
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Includes charts that represent who Community Health Centers (CHCs) serve by race, age, and insurance status; how CHCs are growing; preventive services they provide; patient access to care; economic activity; and workforce shortages.
Date: 2009
So You Want to Start a Health Center...? A Practical Guide for Starting a Federally Qualified Health Center
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
Provides step-by-step directions for planning and implementing a new health center, including instructions on applying for federal designations and funding.
Date: 01 / 2005
Social Security Act, Section 1832 (a)(2)(D): Scope of Benefits
This section of the Social Security Act lists Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center services as within the scope of benefits.
Social Security Act, Section 1861 (aa): Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified Health Center Services
Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified Health Center Services as defined in the Social Security Act. Scroll down to section (aa).
Social Security Act, Section 1902 (bb): State Plans for Medical Assistance
Part (bb) covers state plan requirements for payment for services for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Social Security Act, Section 1905 (l): Definitions for RHCs and FQHCs
Definitions of terms used in the Social Security Act related to Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
State Medicaid Manual, Part 4, section 4231: Services, Federally Qualified Health Centers and Other Ambulatory Services
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Medicaid coverage for federally qualified health center (FQHC) services and qualifications for FQHC status.
Strategic Restructuring for Community Clinics: Options and Examples
Author(s): Heather Gowdy, Diane Wong, Melissa Campos
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation
Explores CHCs experience with various types of partnerships and examines what opportunities strategic restructuring offer clinics seeking to strengthen their positions now and in the future.
Date: 06 / 2009
Telehealth Technical Assistance Manual
Author(s): Samuel G. Burgiss
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Provides information to assist in the planning of
telehealth and telemedicine projects for rural
community and migrant health centers and
other health care organizations. Includes a step-by-step telehealth planning process.
Date: 10 / 2006
Organizations
Bureau of Health Professions
Federal government
Works to assure access to quality health care professionals in all geographic areas and to all segments of society. Part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)
Federal government
Supports access to primary care services. Part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Federal government
Runs the Medicare and Medicaid programs - two national health care programs that benefit about 75 million Americans. Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
National organization
Provides services and technical assistance to community, migrant, and homeless health centers.
National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
Federal government
Works to improve the health of the underserved by recruiting and retaining the health professionals to deliver health care in underserved communities. Provides technical assistance to federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) on projects that enhance the NHSC's site development mission. Part of the Bureau of Health Professionals, Health Resources and Services Administration.
Terms & Acronyms
340B Drug Pricing Program Program that allows qualified entities, such as FQHCs, to purchase prescription and non-prescription medications for their outpatients at reduced cost. Based on Section 340B of Public Law 102-585, the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992.
CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) Federal agency responsible for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Provides compensation for people who suffer personal injury due to negligent or wrongful action by federal employees. Replaces need for malpractice coverage for federal health care providers, including federally qualified health centers.
Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) FQHCs include all organizations receiving grants under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, certain tribal organizations, and FQHC Look-Alikes. FQHCs benefit from enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid under the prospective payment system.
FQHC Look-Alike Meets all requirements for federal FQHC grant funding but has not received a grant. Look-alikes share many but not all the benefits of FQHC status.
Medically Underserved Area (MUA) Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) are federal designations derived from the Index of Medical Underservice (IMU). This index ranges from 0 to 100 and is based on four criteria: 1) ratio of primary medical care physicians per 1,000 people, 2) infant mortality rate, 3) percent of the population with incomes below the poverty level and 4) the percent of the population age 65 or older. An IMU of 62.0 or less qualifies an area to be designated a MUA. Geographic areas designated as MUAs can be a whole county or a group of contiguous (adjoining) counties, minor civil divisions (MCD), census county divisions (CCD) or census tracts.
Medically Underserved Population (MUP) A federal designation that is derived by using the Index of Medical Underservice (IMU). This index ranges from 0 to 100 and is based on four criteria: 1) ratio of primary medical care physicians per 1,000 people, 2) infant mortality rate, 3) percent of the population with incomes below the poverty level and 4) the percent of the population age 65 or older.
Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Will replace the current Medicare fiscal intermediaries and carriers and handle administration of both the Medicare Part A and Part B programs in specified geographic regions.
PHS 330 grantees Grant recipients under the Public Health Service Act Section 330, which includes Community Health Centers (CHC), Migrant Health Centers (MHC), Health Care for the Homeless (HCH), Public Housing Primary Care (PHPC), and Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities (HSHC).
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