IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 231 
Recognizing the benefits and importance of Federally-qualified health centers 
and the Medicaid prospective payment system for such centers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2005 
Mr. PICKERING (for himself, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. HALL, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. 
GOODE, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. MORAN of 
Kansas, Mr. OLVER, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 
BAIRD, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. EVANS, Ms. HERSETH, Mr. CASE, Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. 
INSLEE, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. NORWOOD, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, 
Mr. TERRY, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
PUTNAM, and Mr. FILNER) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the benefits and importance of Federally-quali-
fied health centers and the Medicaid prospective payment 
system for such centers. 
Whereas Federally-qualified health centers—community, mi-
grant, public housing, and homeless health centers—form 
the back bone of the Nation’s health care safety net, pro-
viding care to nearly 6 million of the 53 million people 
enrolled in the Medicaid program nationwide; 
Whereas to protect the valuable resources intended to assist 
community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health
•HCON 231 IH 
centers in caring for the uninsured, the Congress in 1989 
created the concept of ‘‘Federally-qualified health cen-
ters’’ and required that the services of such centers be 
covered as guaranteed benefits under Medicaid; 
Whereas the number of uninsured people served by Federally- 
qualified health centers (‘‘FQHCs’’) has doubled since 
1989, a growth rate more than twice that of the Nation’s 
uninsured population; 
Whereas FQHC patients are more likely than the general 
population to be enrolled in Medicaid, with 36 percent of 
all FQHC patients enrolled in the program compared to 
12 percent nationally; 
Whereas FQHCs provided 17 percent of all Medicaid and 
State Health Insurance Program office visits in 2001; 
Whereas Medicaid on average contributes 36 percent of an 
FQHC’s budget, with the remainder provided by Federal 
grants, State and local governments, Medicare, private 
contributions, private insurance, and patient fees; 
Whereas the cost of treating Medicaid patients at FQHCs is 
30 to 34 percent less than the cost for those receiving 
care elsewhere, and 26 to 40 percent lower for prescrip-
tion drug costs; 
Whereas such cost is 35 percent lower for diabetics and 20 
percent lower for asthmatics, and diabetes and asthma 
are two of the most commonly treated diseases at 
FQHCs; 
Whereas FQHC Medicaid patients are 22 percent less likely 
to be hospitalized for potentially avoidable conditions 
than those obtaining care elsewhere; 
Whereas in 2000 a bipartisan majority of the Congress estab-
lished a prospective payment system (‘‘PPS’’) to ensure
•HCON 231 IH 
that FQHCs receive sufficient Medicaid funding, thereby 
striking a balance between protecting the Federal invest-
ment in such health centers and State flexibility in de-
signing the payment system for these centers; 
Whereas the PPS has allowed States to appropriately predict 
and budget the cost of FQHC Medicaid expenditures; 
Whereas the PPS has allowed FQHCs to provide and expand 
primary care services to more people in need, while pro-
moting efficient operation of and ensuring adequate Med-
icaid reimbursement for these centers; 
Whereas without the assurance of sufficient Medicaid funding 
under the PPS, FQHCs would likely be forced to cross- 
subsidize Medicaid underpayments with Federal grant 
dollars intended to care for the uninsured; 
Whereas if the PPS were eliminated or changed communities 
could be left without access to primary and preventive 
health care services, thus undoing decades of investment 
by the Congress in the health care safety net; and 
Whereas FQHCs provide cost-effective, high-quality health 
care to the Nation’s poor and medically underserved (in-
cluding the working poor, the uninsured, and many high- 
risk and vulnerable populations), acting as a vital safety 
net in the Nation’s health delivery system, meeting esca-
lating health needs, and reducing health disparities: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That— 
(1) it is the sense of the Congress that the 
Medicaid prospective payment system for Federally- 
qualified health centers is critical to ensuring that
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both Medicaid recipients and the Nation’s uninsured 
population have access to quality affordable primary 
and preventive care services; and 
(2) the Congress recognizes the critical role of 
such health centers as an essential source of care for 
millions of Medicaid recipients and uninsured Ameri-
cans and supports continuation of the prospective 
payment system in helping to maintain this system 
of care. 
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