[INSERT YOUR HEALTH CENTER’S LOGO HERE}

November X, 2016

The Honorable FirstNameLastName
Title [Leadership, Senator, Assemblymember]
Address of District Office
City, NY ZIP

Dear X,

On behalf of [health center name] and the [insert number] patients we serve, I am writing to ask that you support our request to add $20 million dollars to the New York State Diagnostic and Treatment Center Uncompensated Care Pool (UCP). The funds in the UCP, appropriated annually, help offset the cost of caring for uninsured patients at federally qualified health centers (FQHC)in your district and across the rest of the state and support ongoing access to healthcare for all New Yorkers.

Since 2012, the UCP has comprised $54.4M in state funding and $54.4M in federal matching funding for a total of $108.8M annually.The waiver that governed the distribution of the federal UCP funds expired at end of 2014 and, as a result, FQHCs experienced a 50% cut – $54.4M shortfall -- in 2015. Over the past several months, the State has worked to secure a federal match for 2016 and beyond, but the federal government has mandated a new distribution formula for these funds. This arrangement importantly ensures the continuation of the federal funding for uncompensated care in New York; unfortunately, the new formula disproportionately affects FQHCs serving the highest number of uninsured patients. A funding pool was created to mitigate harm to UCP recipients in 2016, but unless the$20 millionin funding is added to the state UCP, these providers will face financial losses in 2017 and beyond.

In the absence of state intervention, [insert specific impact on your health center here].

FQHCs are New York State’s community-based primary care safety net. Located in medically underserved communities, FQHCs provide primary and preventive health care services to all who walk in their doors, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

We look forward to working with you to ensure that $20 million is added to the UCP during this budget cycle. We appreciate your support of our health center and your efforts to ensure that safety net providers are kept whole and able to continue providing comprehensive, community-based primary care to all New Yorkers, including those in [insert location/district].

Sincerely,

Your Name
Title