Policymaker Newsletter

December 2024

State Policy Priorities Focus on Workforce

WPHCA’s state policy agenda for the new legislative session focuses on strengthening the health care workforce, with a special focus on dental and behavioral health team members. In particular, WPHCA encourages lawmakers to:

• Provide state funding for Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) to conduct early education and outreach for students interested in health professions, specifically targeted at rural and under-served communities. Community Health Centers partner closely with AHECs, which are regional non-profits that offer a variety of education and training programs aimed at increasing the diversity and distribution of health care professionals, serving over 4,000 learners annually. Learn more about AHECs.
• Add Behavioral Health professionals and additional funding to the State Loan Assistance program administered by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, incentivizing practice in rural and under-resourced areas in exchange for academic loan forgiveness. 
• Ensure sustainability of an initial $20 million investment in oral health professional training at the Wisconsin Technical College System for oral health through the last biennial budget. Through these funds, Technical Colleges have already started development of a Dental Therapy training program and expanded Dental Assistant and Hygiene training.
• Expand the Community Health Center State grant to address an exclusion for two Wisconsin Community Health Centers and reach more patients. Through this grant, Community Health Centers provide school-based mental health care, preventative dental services, pre-natal coordination to keep moms health, chronic disease management, and more.

To connect on state policy issues, please contact WPHCA’s Associate Director of Government Relations, Richelle Andrae. 

Save the Date: WPHCA's State Policy & Issues Forum April 2, 2025

Join Community Health Centers for biennial visits with lawmakers the afternoon of Wednesday, April 2, with a reception in Madison the evening before. Registration coming soon! 

State Policy Priorities Focus on Workforce

Annual appropriations funding for Community Health Centers is currently scheduled to expire on December 20 and mandatory funding for CHCs will expire on December 31 without Congressional action. Without federal grants, Community Health Centers would not be able to fulfill their mission of providing primary care regardless of a patient’s insurance status and implementation of a sliding fee scale for uninsured patients. Federal priorities for Community Health Centers include:

1. Annual discretionary funding at current levels
2. Modest increase in mandatory funding, at least $5.8 billion per year including increased base funding for existing Section 330 grantees
3. Extensions and stable funding for the Teaching Health Center program (which funds residencies at Community Health Centers) and National Health Service Corps (loan assistance programs)
4. 340B Drug Pricing Program reform

Check out recent news from WPHCA and Community Health Centers in Wisconsin

WPHCA Staff Picks: What We're Reading

• The Picture of Health? | Wisconsin Policy Forum
• Promoting Oral Health Among Wisconsin Medicaid Members: Addressing Disparities in Dental Care Access and Utilization | La Follette School of Public Affairs
• Trump’s Nontraditional Health Picks| KFF Health News

To connect on state policy issues or arrange a visit with your local Community Health Center, please contact WPHCA’s Associate Director of Government Relations, Richelle Andrae.