Federally Qualified Health Center

Centro de Salud Federalmente Calificado

In 9 languages

LanguageTerm
EnglishFederally Qualified Health Center
Spanish (Español) Centro de Salud Federalmente Calificado
Chinese (中文) 联邦合格卫生中心
Korean (한국어) 연방 공인 보건소
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) Trung tâm Y tế được Liên bang Công nhận
Filipino (Tagalog) Federally Qualified Health Center
Portuguese (Português) Centro de Saúde Federalmente Qualificado
Thai (ภาษาไทย) ศูนย์สุขภาพที่ได้รับการรับรองจากรัฐบาลกลาง
Japanese (日本語) 連邦認定地域医療センター

What it means

A federally qualified health center (FQHC) is a community health clinic that meets federal requirements and receives grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. FQHCs must offer comprehensive primary care services—including medical, dental, behavioral health, and substance use treatment—to all patients in their area, regardless of ability to pay. Charges are calculated on a sliding-scale fee based on income and family size, so patients pay only what they can afford. FQHCs receive enhanced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates. With over 1,400 grantees operating more than 14,000 service sites nationwide, FQHCs are a vital resource for uninsured and underserved communities.

How to say it

Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:

The federally qualified health center near my home charges based on a sliding scale tied to my household income.

El centro de salud federalmente calificado cerca de mi hogar cobra según una escala variable basada en los ingresos de mi hogar.

FQHCs accept Medicaid, Medicare, and uninsured patients at reduced fees based on ability to pay.

Los FQHC aceptan pacientes de Medicaid, Medicare y pacientes sin seguro a tarifas reducidas según su capacidad de pago.

You can find your nearest FQHC using the HRSA health center finder at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

Puede encontrar el FQHC más cercano usando el buscador de centros de salud de la HRSA en findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

Where you'll see it

Sliding-scale fee scheduleMedicaid managed care plan network directoryHRSA health center finderMarketplace plan network directory

Related terms

Sources

US Glossary Español A–Z US Codes United States

Last reviewed: September 2026