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ADVOCACY SUCCESS:
NEW ACCESS POINT COMPETITION ANNOUNCED
On Monday, August 9, the Health Resources and Services
Administration announced the availability of $250 million in "New Access Point"
funding that provides the opportunity for dramatic expansion of the Health Care
for the Homeless program throughout the nation. The announcement is a very tangible outcome of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care reform legislation signed by President
Obama earlier this year, and is the result of determined advocacy by Health
Centers for universal access to high quality care.
With this edition of the HCH
Mobilizer, we welcome the historic opportunity to meet the health care
needs of our homeless neighbors, and we strongly urge existing Health Center grantees
and other local entities to seek funding for new sites that will provide
services to persons who are homeless. By law, at least 8.7% of Health Center expenditures must go to supporting
HCH projects, serving a population that is visibly expanding throughout the
country. Thus, this New Access
Point opportunity should provide over $21 million for HCH projects.
AMOUNT AVAILABLE PER SITE
According to HRSA's guidance, an applicant may request up to
$650,000 per year to establish one or
more new service delivery sites (including mobile vans). Each site must provide "ready access to
the full range of required primary, preventive, enabling and supplemental
health care services, including oral health care, mental health care and
substance abuse services, . . . without regard to ability to pay." While not all services must be available
at each site, applicants must describe how the full array of services will be
made available to the patients seen at each site.
FUNDING PRIORITIES
The 100 point baseline scoring system for New Access Point
applications includes up to 30 points for "Need for Assistance." Health status
and access problems that are common among homeless populations are measured in the
Need criterion. In addition,
HRSA will give special consideration to areas without an existing health center
and will grant point adjustments based upon the following stated Priorities:
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Special
Populations: Up to ten extra points
will be granted to applicants proposing to serve Special Populations (migrant
and seasonal farmworkers, people experiencing homelessness, and residents of
public housing).
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High
Poverty Areas: Proposals for
service areas where at least 30% of the population is at or below 100% of the
Federal Poverty Level will receive an upward adjustment of up to five points.
Given these Priorities, many current and potential providers
of care for homeless persons should be well positioned to prepare successful applications. Note that the application process is
complex, and includes multiple deadlines, with initial material due to HRSA on
November 17, 2010 and the remainder due on December 15, 2010. All application material must be
submitted electronically.
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