Congressman Hernandez & Leader Jeffries Spotlight Fight for Federal Healthcare Funding
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico Congressman Pablo José Hernández, alongside House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, visited HealthProMed Centro 330 in Barrio Obrero today to highlight congressional Democratic efforts to strengthen community health centers and protect access to healthcare services in Puerto Rico.
During the visit, Congressman Hernández and Leader Jeffries toured the facility and met with patients, healthcare professionals, healthcare advocates, public health leaders, medical students, future healthcare workforce representatives, and community stakeholders. They also heard firsthand about the essential role Centros 330 like HealthProMed play in delivering care to vulnerable and underserved communities across Puerto Rico.
The visit also highlighted efforts led by Congressman Hernández, alongside House Democrats in Congress, to secure an approximately 4% federal funding increase for Medicare Advantage in Puerto Rico, exceeding the roughly 2.5% increase provided to the states. The increase will help expand healthcare resources for older adults and strengthen access to care for hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican families.
The conversation also focused on Puerto Rico’s looming Medicaid funding cliff after Fiscal Year 2027 and the urgent need for long-term federal healthcare stability to protect community health centers and the patients who depend on them across the island. Participants included representatives from the Puerto Rico Association of Primary Health Care Providers, the Migrant Clinicians Network, and other organizations working to strengthen healthcare access in Puerto Rico.
“Access to quality healthcare services cannot be a privilege. Democrats in Congress will continue fighting for investments that strengthen our community health centers and protect Puerto Rican families,” said Congressman Hernández.
Leader Hakeem Jeffries also emphasized the importance of continuing support for community health centers and expanding access to affordable healthcare services for the most vulnerable communities.
“Access to high-quality and affordable healthcare is a right that should be available to every single resident here on the island and all across the mainland of the United States of America. The work that's being done here at this community-based health center is extraordinary—it's both high-quality and compassionate, and it's the type of care that the Congress should continue to elevate,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “House Democrats will support the effort to ensure that there is no financial cliff related to Medicaid and the necessary transition from NAP to SNAP. I am thankful for Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernandez and the tremendous advocacy that he brings on behalf of the people he's privileged to represent each and every day in Washington D.C.”
HealthProMed, one of Puerto Rico's Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), provides essential primary healthcare services including preventive care, mental health services, dental care, and chronic disease management for medically underserved communities. Like other Centros 330 across Puerto Rico, the organization relies heavily on stable federal healthcare funding to sustain operations and patient services.
The livestream is available HERE.