Community Health Centers (FQHC)

About This Program

Federally Qualified Health Centers are clinics that receive federal funding specifically to serve communities with limited access to affordable healthcare. They are required by law to accept all patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. If you are uninsured or underinsured, you are charged on a sliding fee scale based on your household income and size — patients at the lowest income levels pay very little or nothing per visit. FQHCs provide more than basic checkups. Most offer primary care, pediatric care, women's health, behavioral health and counseling, substance use disorder treatment, dental care, and pharmacy services on-site or by referral. Many have bilingual staff and serve large immigrant and non-English-speaking populations. Some operate evening and weekend hours to accommodate working patients. There are approximately 1,400 FQHC organizations operating more than 14,000 service sites across the country, including in rural areas that have otherwise lost hospital and clinic access. The federal health center finder at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov lets you search by zip code. Look health centers, community health centers, rural health clinics, and migrant health centers — these are all similar types of facilities under the same federal program. If you have Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance, FQHCs accept those too and bill them normally. Using an FQHC does not require you to be uninsured — it is simply a high-quality, affordable option for anyone in the community.

Eligibility Requirements

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