The Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) will award approximately $39.4 million
in supplemental grant awards to health centers
funded under section 330 of the Public Health
Service Act in fiscal year (FY) 2008 to support
base grant adjustments for existing health centers
(i.e., an increase in base funding). In addition,
a limited number of health centers that serve
a high percentage of uninsured or that experienced
significant increases in the number of uninsured
patients will receive an additional adjustment
to their base grant. These base adjustments
are expected to strengthen health centers’
ability to maintain their current service delivery
capacity, assuring access to comprehensive,
culturally competent, quality primary health
care services for the Nation’s underserved
communities and vulnerable populations.
HRSA will award approximately $39.4 million
for health center base adjustments in FY 2008
to support existing health centers. The FY 2008
appropriation included an across the board 1.747
percent rescission to the Health Center Program
funding as well as a concurrent increase to
base funding for health centers. As a result,
each FY 2008 approved health center will receive
a 2 percent increase in its FY 2008 target funding
level after applying the 1.747 percent rescission
to the health center’s FY 2008 target
level of funding. Approximately $35 million
will be required to support this 2 percent base
adjustment increase.
HRSA will award the remaining $4.4 million
to health centers that have been significantly
impacted by the financial burden of delivering
primary health care services to the uninsured
(i.e., those health centers that serve a high
percentage of uninsured and/or have experienced
significant increases in the number of uninsured
patients). The calendar year (CY) 2006 UDS data,
and 3 year UDS trend data for the period ending
in 2006, will be used as the sources of data
for this information. Health center grantees
reporting UDS data demonstrating that 70 percent
or more of their patient population in CY 2006
were uninsured will be awarded an additional
1.497 percent base adjustment. Grantees reporting
at least a 50 percent increase in the number
of uninsured patients from CY 2004 to CY 2006
(with a minimum increase of 1,000 uninsured
patients) will also be eligible for an additional
1.497 percent base adjustment. Grantees will
be eligible to receive an additional base grant
adjustment in both categories (i.e., 70 percent
or greater uninsured patients; 50 percent increase
in uninsured patients), if applicable.
All grantees with April 1 continuation start
dates will receive the base adjustment as part
of their FY 2008 continuation award; this process
will continue for grantees with May through
July budget starts. Grantees with start dates
earlier in FY 2008 will receive their base adjustments
through supplemental Notices of Grant Awards
that will apply both the rescission and the
base adjustment.
Grantees should contact their Project Officer
with any questions regarding this Program Assistance
Letter.
What are the eligibility requirements
for receiving a FY 2008 base adjustment?
All Health Center Program grantees whose FY
2008 continuation application was approved will
be awarded a 2 percent base adjustment to their
rescissed FY 2008 target funding level; about
15 percent of grantees will get an additional
base adjustment increase based on their percent
of uninsured and/or their increase in the number
of uninsured patients.
Will health centers with more than
one Health Center Program funding source (i.e.,
Community Health Center, Migrant Health Center,
Health Care for the Homeless, and/or Residents
of Public Housing) be able to decide the proportion
of the base adjustment for each part of the
project scope?
No. The base adjustment will be awarded proportionately
to the current target funding level grant allocation.
Will there be an opportunity to request
additional base adjustment funds for grantees
with unique circumstances?
This process utilizes all of the FY 2008 funds
allocated for Health Center Program base adjustments.
There will not be an opportunity to request
additional funds.
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