Supported Legislation

December 2018

ACU signs on to Partnership for Medicaid Letter and CALC Letter addressing the proposed changes to the “public charge” rule.

August 24, 2018, The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) finds that the Administration’s draft rule on “public charge” is both unjust and unhealthy. Many of our members care for low-income immigrant & refugee families, and we have already witnessed a fear on the part of many immigrant patients that accessing basic health care needs may jeopardize their ability to keep their families together. This proposed draft rule will create additional confusion, fear and poverty.

January 2018

ACU signs on to NDDUnited Letter calling for parity in budget deal.

On January 22, 2018, the United States Congress once again passed a short-term measure to maintain funding for the federal government, through February 8, 2018. While it contained a critical extension of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, it failed to reauthorize and fund several other key expired health care programs and policies. ACU, with 2,000 other organizations, cosigned a letter to Congress calling for parity in non-defense discretionary funding.

December 2017

ACU signs on to letter along with 100+ leading national, state, tribal, and local organizations urging Congress to enact a 5-year extension of CHIP.

ACU continues to be a strong advocate for the health and well-being of America’s children and pregnant women, and urged Congress to immediately enact a strong, five-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). As you know, CHIP funding expired almost three months ago on September 30, 2017 and as federal funding to the states is running out, families across the country are receiving disenrollment notices and face an uncertain future about their children’s health care just as they enter the holiday season. We believe no family should feel the fear and worry of whether or not their child will have health care coverage.

ACU signs another letter along with 50+ leading organizations, urging Congress to reinstate funding for healthcare extender programs after funding expires on October 1st, 2017.

On October 1, 2017, around 3 months ago before this letter was signed, funding lapsed for health care programs critical to millions of low-income, working Americans and others who face financial challenges. ACU continues to push for Congress to immediately reinstate funding for these programs, which are the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); Community Health Centers Program (CHCs); Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments (DSH); the National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Maternal Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV); and Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program (THCGME).

November 2017

ACU along with AAP, AATHC, ACOG, AEH, AMCHP and CHA sign letter urging Congress to reinstate funding for healthcare extender programs after funding expires on October 1st, 2017.

On October 1, 2017, more than a month ago before this letter was signed, funding lapsed for health care programs critical to millions of low-income, working Americans and others who face financial challenges. ACU along with 6 other organizations, signed a letter that urges Congress to immediately reinstate funding for these programs, which are the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); Community Health Centers Program (CHCs); Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments (DSH); the National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Maternal Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV); and Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program (THCGME). On November 3, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would maintain funding for most of these critical funding streams. ACU urges the bipartisan, bicameral agreement on funding in the final bill.

April 2017

ACU signs on to the Association of Community Affiliated Plans letter urging the Administration to work with Congress to continue federal funding for consumers’ cost sharing reductions (CSR) in the Marketplaces.
Without guaranteed CSR funding, many insurers will be forced to drop coverage; taxpayer spending will significantly increase; premiums will rise; and uncompensated care will increase. Cuts to federal funding for CSRs will jeopardize millions of low-income consumer’s ability to access care. ACU joins the Association of Community Affiliated Plans, America’s Essential Hospitals and the National Association of Community Health Centers to urge Administrative and Congressional collaboration to stabilize the individual market for 2017, 2018, and beyond by ensuring continued federal funding for consumers’ cost-sharing reductions (CSR) in the Marketplaces.

March 2017

ACU signs on to Friends of HRSA letter urging Congress to support the request of $7.48 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration discretionary budget for FY18.
HRSA administers programs that focus on improving care for millions of Americans, who are medically underserved or face barriers to needed care, by strengthening the health workforce and increasing access to quality health services. As an advocate for underserved communities and the National Health Service Corps, ACU is proud to be one of 155 state and national organizations to sign onto the Friends of HRSA letter in support of the request of $7.48 billion for HRSA’s discretionary budget authority for FY 2018.

ACU signs on to NDD United letter urging Congress to protect NDD programs from further cuts and to end sequestration.
ACU joins over 2,000 national, state and local organizations to urge Congress to help ensure adequate funding for programs funded through annual appropriations, by continuing the bipartisan practice of providing relief from sequestration budget cuts and opposing any new efforts to cut these programs more deeply.

January 2017

ACU organizes letter to Congress to support Medicaid expansion funding.
Over 115 national and state organizations join ACU to voice concern over the repercussions of repealing the Medicaid expansion funds provided through the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid now covers more than 70 million people in the United States. We believe a decision to repeal the Medicaid expansion before the enactment of a thoughtful, viable, and permanent replacement would lead to a significant disruption for many Americans, safety net providers and other stakeholders within the health system.

December 2016

ACU signs on to the Partnership for Medicaid letter urging Congress to avoid repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a viable replacement plan.
Medicaid serves as the foundation of the health care safety net for the majority of those covered under the ACA. A decision to repeal the ACA before replacing it with a thoughtfully developed, permanent replacement plan will lead to uncertainty in coverage sources for affected patients, providers, health plans and employers, and threatens the lives and wellbeing of millions of Americans.

November 2016

ACU signs on to America’s Essential Hospitals letter urging Congress to act immediately to address the October 1, 2017 funding cuts to some of the most crucial primary care programs.
Without Congressional action, funding for the National Health Service Corps, Community Health Centers, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals, and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program will expire on October 1, 2017. The elimination of these crucial health care programs will drastically diminish health care coverage for millions of Americans.

October 2016

ACU signs on to Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) letter to Appropriators requesting support for HPNEC’s FY2017 funding request.
ACU signed on to HPNEC’s letter imploring the Appropriations Committee to support the FY2017 funding request of $524 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs.

October 2014

ACU signs on to the National Association of Community Health Center letter calling for Congress to prevent the “primary care cliff.”
The dedicated funding streams supporting the operations of Community Health Centers, the National Health Service Corps, and primary care training in Teaching Health Centers is set to expire at the end of FY2015. By signing on to this letter, ACU joins over 100 national organizations calling for Congress to act immediately to avert this primary care cliff.

September 2014

ACU signs on to the Partnership for Medicaid letter supporting federal funding for CHIP through FY2019.
On behalf of the Partnership for Medicaid – a nonpartisan, nationwide coalition of safety-net providers, counties, labor and health plans – we would like to express our support for ensuring continued funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through fiscal year (FY) 2019, before the conclusion of the 113th Congress. We believe it is imperative to take action this year to ensure that children, adolescents, and pregnant women are not put at risk of losing coverage as a result of a delay in CHIP funding authorization until we approach the end of the current expiration date at the end of FY 2015. Read more and watch the congressional hearing here.

April 2014

ACU signs on to the Partnership for Medicaid letter supporting Medicaid and CHIP funding at the federal level.
We know that Medicaid and CHIP serve as a vital safety net for our nation’s children. At ACU we see firsthand the difference that stable, affordable coverage makes for families and their children in accessing needed care. CHIP is an affordable coverage option that was specifically designed with children in mind.

March 2014

ACU signs on to the Coalition for Health Funding, Committee for Education Funding and Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce at the federal level.
Continued discretionary cuts will move us backward in growing the economy, increasing jobs, improving global competitiveness, protecting the health of Americans and increasing educational attainment. We recognize the value of health, education, job training and social services in improving the lives of American families and support this program’s initiative.

ACU signs on to the Coalition for Healthier Schools letter supporting the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection funding at the federal level.
Help make healthy children and healthy indoor environments a priority in the final FY15 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations. We believe that the development of useful guidelines to states, tribes and territories will better support healthy school environments for our nation’s children.

ACU signs on to the American Lung Association letter supporting asthma funding at the federal level.
We encourage your strong support for the National Asthma Control Program at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We believe that policy change at the national or local level can have a major impact on the lives of those living with asthma.