May 1, 2024

Strengthen the National Health Service Corps!

Since its inception in 1972, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) has worked to build healthy communities by placing health care providers in underserved areas of every state and territory of the United States. The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is leading the effort to save this vital program from elimination. Our policy request is outlined below, but we need your help! Join ACU today to ensure the future of this important program.

About the Campaign

For the past 45 years, the NHSC has played a critical role in maintaining access to primary care in our nation’s most underserved communities. The NHSC was created to address access gaps in the United States’ healthcare system that leave many medically stranded, unable to access the care they need. The NHSC offers scholarships and loan repayments for providers who serve in federally designated shortage areas, including urban, rural, frontier, and low-income communities. In 2016, there were almost 66 million people living in primary care shortage areas, more than 51 million people living in dental shortages, and more than 106 million people living in mental health shortage areas. The NHSC aims to address these very issues. Today, over 11 million people rely on more than 10,000 NHSC clinicians for their primary care services.

NHSC Fact Sheet                                   NHSC Policy Paper

What You Can Do

Recent Campaign News

July 17, 2019
House E&C Committee Votes Through 4 Year Level-Funding Bill for NHSC

June 26, 2019
Senate Health Committee Votes Through Bill to Level-Fund NHSC for 5 Years

March 28, 2019
Butterfield Circulates NHSC Letter to House Appropriations Committee

March 28, 2019
Sanders and Clyburn Introduce Bill to Strengthen NHSC Funding

January 29, 2019
ACU Member Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee

January 10, 2019
Blunt & Stabenow Introduce CHIME bill in Senate

November 13, 2017
Safety Net Groups Send Letter to Congress on Extender Package

November 3, 2017
ACU Statement on House Vote to Extend Funding for the NHSC

September 29, 2017
ACU Supports Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize Funding for the NHSC

September 11, 2017
ACU Board Member To Testify Before Congress

July 27, 2017
NHSC Support Letter Circulates in House

May 23, 2017
ACU Statement on President’s FY18 Budget Request

November 2, 2016
National Groups Call on Congress to Extend Safety Net Programs

February 19, 2016
ACU Statement on President’s FY17 Budget Request

May 1, 2015
Senate Bill Would Expand NHSC to Jails

March 24, 2015
NHSC Funding Included in SGR Package

February 2, 2015
President Reconfirms Strong Support for NHSC in FY16 Budget

October 28, 2014
ACU Joins with 100+ other Groups to Press for Fix to Primary Care Cliff

April 7, 2014
NHSC Stakeholder Group Letter to Congress

February 27, 2014
President’s Budget to Propose Expansion of the NSHC

December 11, 2013
Congressional Budget Deal Unveiled – Sequester Will Cut NHSC Funding

September 24, 2013
What a Government Shutdown Means for Health Programs