Help is on the way for communities that lack comprehensive health care services. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week announced more than $100 million in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act funding to 164 new community health centers in 33 states and two U.S. territories.
"The Affordable Care Act has led to unprecedented increases in access to health insurance," HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement. "Part of building on that progress is connecting people to the care they need. Health centers are keystones of the communities they serve.
"[The] awards will enable more individuals and families to have access to the affordable, quality health care that health centers provide. That includes the preventive and primary care services that will keep them healthy."
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These new health centers are expected to increase access to health care services for nearly 650,000 patients. This adds to the total of more than 550 new health center sites that have opened in the last four years as a result of PPACA. Nearly 1,300 health centers operate more than 9,000 service delivery sites that provide care to nearly 22 million patients.
"More people have insurance in the United States than ever before," said Jim Macrae, acting administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. "Health centers provide an accessible and dependable source of culturally competent primary care for many of the newly insured."
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
