» About Us » Our Status as a FQHC
Our Status as a Federally Qualified Health Center
CommUnityCare is a Federally Qualified Health Center or FQHC. This means our practice has met strict guidelines established by the Federal Bureau of Primary Health Care. These guidelines require that we offer a specific scope of services including care for those without health insurance. We also include members of our patient community on our board. The board oversees the governance of our health center operations. We are proud to have earned this designation. We are part of a vital safety net in the nation's health care delivery system.
Federally Qualified Health Centers are eligible to:
- Receive enhanced reimbursement (payment) from Medicare and Medicaid.
- Participate in the 340B Program that allows us to purchase prescription drugs at reduced prices.
- Have access to medical malpractice insurance through the Federal Tort Claims Act. This lowers our cost of operation.
Today the network of FQHCs nationwide is growing. Over 1000 health centers across the country serve over 13 million people.
Responding to Increasing Demand in Central Texas
Travis County has an estimated 172,000 uninsured residents or 19.3 percent of its population. Many of these residents have great difficulty getting access to basic primary and preventive health care. Local "safety net" primary care providers, like CommUnityCare, often operate at more than 100 percent of our capacity. In Travis County, CommUnityCare clinics provide approximately half of all local safety net primary care services. We are the largest provider for these services in the area. CommUnityCare works hard to respond to the increasing need for health care services.
