Dive Brief:
- The Obama administration has announced the federal government will spend $169 million to open hundreds of new health centers, establishing the nation's "largest safety net system for primary care." An additional 700 centers have opened over the past several years, also with ACA funding.
- The centers, aimed at medically underserved and low-income populations, have assisted in helping people sign up for insurance under the healthcare law.
- Most providers are funded by federal grants that constitute about 20 percent of their operating budget. Centers can be operated by private or public entities.
Dive Insight:
HHS operates 1,300 community health centers, which provide primary care to one out of 14 people, according to Jim Macrae, acting head of the Health Resources and Service Administration. "These awards mean that more communities than ever can count on a health center to help meet the increasing demand for primary care," Macrae said in a statement.
The first community health center opened 50 years ago and the centers now serve as the leading provider of US primary care. President Obama wrote in a recent statement that these health centers "are playing a significant role in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act."