Some health service applications would receive special federal consideration

The federal official reviewing these applications would give special consideration to qualifying requests. It covers eligible organizations applying to expand services under the referenced federal health-center provisions. The area must have received significantly more new patients because a federally qualified health center within or near it closed, or the area must have been affected by a qualifying declared emergency or disaster. Special consideration would not guarantee approval. The federally qualified health center must have closed within the four years before the application. A declared public health emergency or presidential disaster or emergency must have affected the area within the one year before the application.