Under the Radar: What Proposed CDC Cuts Could Mean for Free and Charitable Clinics

Nearly half of CDC's budget could be cut for FY2026. This would significantly undermine state and local efforts to maintain essential public health and prevention services for vulnerable communities.

As headlines focus on high-profile proposals to cut Medicaid and SNAP under the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, a quieter but equally alarming threat is emerging: major funding cuts and a structural reorganization of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While safety net providers are raising alarms about Medicaid disenrollments and growing coverage gaps, the ripple effects of CDC cuts and their implications on uninsured and underinsured populations have received far less attention.

For Free and Charitable Clinics and Charitable Pharmacies (FCCPs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and other community providers, CDC programs offer more than policy and data—they help sustain the infrastructure of community health. If enacted, these cuts would disrupt partnerships, eliminate key funding streams, and weaken preventive services that directly impact underserved populations.

===>>See "Take Action Now" below for talking points and script for calls to your US Senators and Representatives.

What’s Changing at CDC

The proposed reorganization would drastically scale back many of the CDC’s public health programs. Overall, the CDC is facing a proposed 54% budget reduction. Funding for chronic disease prevention, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and tobacco programs, is slated to be cut by 98%, or $1.4 billion. Injury prevention programs face a $124 million cut, with many slated for relocation to the newly proposed Administration for a Healthy America (AHA).

Why It Matters for Free and Charitable Clinics

Free and Charitable Clinics depend on a patchwork of support—local donors, volunteers, in-kind contributions, and public health partnerships. While CDC funding may not always flow directly to clinics, it supports state health departments, nonprofit collaboratives, and community coalitions that provide:

• Training and technical assistance for staff

• Funding for outreach and health education

• Access to screening tools and resources

• Clinical quality improvement toolkits

• National hotlines for domestic violence, suicide prevention (9-8-8), and human trafficking

Eliminating or weakening these supports would further stretch already-limited clinic resources and hinder their ability to address chronic disease, promote early detection, and respond to patients’ immediate needs.

What’s at Risk

🫀 Chronic Disease Prevention

Programs like the National Diabetes Prevention Program, WISEWOMAN, and Million Hearts™ help clinics prevent and manage diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Many Free and Charitable Clinics refer patients to local lifestyle change programs like Diabetes Prevention, or use resources from Million Hearts™ to guide quality improvement. Without CDC leadership, there will be less clarity, consistency, data, and guidance to help clinics advance health outcomes.

🎗️ Cancer Screening and Early Detection

CDC-funded breast and cervical cancer screening programs, often delivered through state health departments, are vital partners for clinics serving uninsured women. Clinics frequently refer patients for mammograms through mobile units or collaborate with local providers connected to CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Cuts would limit access to lifesaving early detection services.

🚭 Tobacco Prevention and Cessation

The CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health supports quitlines, tobacco cessation resources, and local prevention efforts. Free and Charitable Clinics—many of which serve populations with high tobacco use—rely on these external supports. Funding cuts could mean fewer referrals, loss of free or low-cost nicotine replacement therapies, and the erosion of statewide tobacco control partnerships.

🛡️ Injury and Violence Prevention

CDC investments in programs to prevent intimate partner violence, sexual assault, falls, suicide, and youth violence support local shelters, rape crisis centers, and education campaigns. Clinics use these partnerships to screen, refer, and ensure patients receive care and protection. Without these resources, clinics may lack safe pathways for patients in crisis and lose key training in trauma-informed care.

More Fragmented Public Health

Proponents of the CDC cuts say that the power for protecting public health needs to be decentralized. While local control can foster innovation, it also risks creating fragmented systems, duplication of effort, and wide variability in access across the US—especially in rural or under-resourced communities. For Free and Charitable Clinics—often operating without the administrative or financial resources of larger systems—consistency, coordination, and national guidance from the CDC provide stability and allow for bright ideas and innovation to translate more easily among clinics in different states. With these cuts, gaps will grow.

What Clinics and Their Partners Can Do

As these proposals advance, Free and Charitable Clinics and their allies must remain proactive. Here’s how:

• Stay Informed: Monitor updates from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC), your state association, and national public health organizations.

  
  

• Share Your Story: Document how CDC-funded programs support your clinic’s work. Contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives with real-life examples of their impact.

  
  

• Join Coalitions: Participate in state and local coalitions (e.g., tobacco-free coalitions, cancer councils) to ensure your voice is included in policy advocacy.

  
  

• Educate Policymakers: Advocate for the essential role Free and Charitable Clinics play—and how CDC programs amplify their ability to prevent disease and promote health equity.

  
  

The Bottom Line

Cuts to CDC programs may not dominate the news cycle—but their consequences will be deeply felt on the ground. For Free and Charitable Clinics and the communities they serve, these changes threaten to erode the very public health infrastructure that makes preventive care, early intervention, and resilience possible.

Now more than ever, the role of clinics as trusted, community-based providers is essential. Protecting the CDC and the programs it supports is vital to improving access to care, quality of care, and health outcomes for all.

==>>Take Action Now.

📞 Call your Senators and Representatives today and urge them to oppose funding cuts to the CDC.

✅ Ask them to

• Vote against any appropriations or budget reconciliation bill that cuts CDC funding by more than 10%, especially involving chronic disease, injury, or emergency preparedness.

• Support robust increases for CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Injury Prevention and Control, and Office on Smoking and Health.

• Demand full transparency from HHS and the CDC regarding layoffs, program eliminations, and health impacts.

• Encourage reallocation of dismantled programs into existing structures without compromising service levels.

📞 Sample Script – Call or Email Your Legislator

 “Hello, I’m [Name] from [City, ZIP]. I’m calling to urge [Senator/Representative ___] to fully fund the CDC in the FY 2026 budget. Deep cuts—up to 54%—would cripple disease prevention efforts, reduce staffing, and eliminate programs that support Free and Charitable Clinics in my community/state.

 These volunteer-driven clinics rely on CDC partnerships for cancer screenings, tobacco cessation, violence prevention, and more. Cutting funding now increases the risk of outbreaks, chronic disease, and health disparities—and ultimately costs more in the long run.

 Please oppose any budget that slashes CDC funding or dismantles its programs. Thank you.”