Next Stop: President’s Desk for Bipartisan Legislation Aimed at Expanding Access to Mobile Health Units and Community Health Centers  

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation authored by Reps. Susie Lee (D-NV), Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), and Richard Hudson (R-NC) to increase access to mobile health units and community health centers in rural and underserved communities. Dr. Ruiz joined Rep. Lee in introducing the MOBILE Health Care Act, which would expand opportunities for Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to use grants under the New Access Point (NAP) program to acquire mobile units.

"As a physician, I know firsthand the difference community health centers' mobile clinics make in expanding access to affordable, quality care in rural and underserved communities," said Dr. Ruiz. "The House passage of our bill, the MOBILE Health Care Act, will help our local health centers provide care to our hardest-to-reach populations with much-needed services like mobile units. Once signed into law, this bipartisan legislation will make a positive difference in the lives of my constituents and improve health outcomes here in our region and across the country."

"The pandemic laid bare longstanding inequities in our health care system, and I'm fighting to make health care more accessible to Nevadans, no matter where they live," said Rep. Susie Lee. "Federally-Qualified Health Centers provide essential care for thousands of Nevada families who need it. With the passage of this bill, we're one step closer to ensuring that every Nevadan has access to the care they deserve. I'm so proud that the House and Senate voted to pass this important legislation, and I look forward to President Biden signing this bill into law."

"Folks in rural areas often struggle to obtain convenient health care as they face long drives, high gas prices, and other barriers," saidRep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. "Mobile medical units are a great solution; they can bring those necessary medical services to patients, in turn making it more likely rural residents get the care they need. I'm proud the House passed our legislation expanding the use of these mobile medical units and making health care access better in rural communities throughout Southwest Washington."

"The MOBILE Health Care Act is critical to improve health care quality and access across our country, especially in rural and underserved areas," saidRep. Richard Hudson. "I thank Representatives Susie Lee, Raul Ruiz, and Jaime Herrera Beutler for their dedicated bipartisan partnership on this bill. I have heard directly from community health centers in North Carolina and across the country about the positive impact this bill and the flexibilities it provides would have on communities and patients, and I look forward to getting it across the finish line."

Across the country, one in 11 Americans, including 400,000 veterans, rely on FQHCs for health care. Currently, FQHCs cannot use NAP grants for mobile health units or construction costs. This means that many small and rural communities across the country that do not have the population base to support full-time health centers are missing out on critical health care that mobile health centers could provide. This bill would expand allowable use criteria in the NAP program to include creating new mobile delivery sites that serve medically underserved populations and renovating existing community health center buildings.

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