FQHC

Health Care Partners of South Carolina is a Federally Qualified Health Center or FQHC.

Health Care Partners of South Carolina 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.

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.

  • Health centers are important safety net providers in rural areas. Approximately 20% of rural residents receive care from community health centers.
  • Today the network of FQHCs nationwide is growing. Almost 1400 health centers across the country are expected to serve 29 million people in 2020. Health centers also serve 1 in 11 people across the country.
  • *This health center is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b, and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).

In order to qualify for federal support as a health center, an organization must:

  • Offer services to all persons, regardless of the person’s ability to pay.
  • Establish a sliding fee discount program
  • Be a nonprofit or public organization.
  • Be community-based, with the majority of their governing board of directors composed of their patients.
  • Serve a medically underserved area or population.
  • Provide comprehensive primary care services
  • Have an ongoing quality assurance program.

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 vaccines through the Vaccines for Children Program.
  • Have access to medical malpractice insurance through the Federal Tort Claims Act which lowers our cost of operation.