Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that it will establish 164 new community health centers via $101 million provided by the Affordable Care Act.
- The centers will be established in 33 states and two U.S. territories to increase access to primary healthcare services for 650,000 people in underserved communities.
- The centers also assist people in signing up for health insurance through online marketplaces. More than 9 million people have become insured through these centers since 2013, according to Healthcare Finance.
Dive Insight:
HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said the funding will add to the more than 550 new health center sites that have opened in the past four years as a result of the ACA. Mandatory funding for the health centers for fiscal years 2016 and 2017 will be extended by the recently-enacted Medicare Access and Children Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act.