$500 Million in ACA Funding Awarded to Health Centers for Primary Care

Health centers around the country will receive Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding to help them provide primary care services to those most in need. HHS announced nearly half a billion dollars in Health Center Expanded Services awards, including approximately $350 million for 1184 health centers to increase access to services such as medical, oral, behavioral, pharmacy, and vision care. Nearly $150 million will be awarded to 160 health centers for facility renovation, expansion, or construction to increase patient or service capacity.

These funds may be used to support outreach and enrollment activities for the next open enrollment period for the ACA's health insurance marketplace, starting November 1, as well as educating eligible people that they can enroll in Medicaid year round.

“These awards will give 1.4 million more Americans across every state access to comprehensive, quality health care,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said in a statement. “With these awards, health centers will be able to do things like increase their hours of operation, hire more behavioral health providers, add dental facilities, better treat patients with opioid use disorders, and help people get coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and make the journey from coverage to primary care.”

Since 2013, health centers have assisted more than 12 million people with their efforts to become insured and since the beginning of 2009, health centers have added 6 million patients, and are now serving nearly 23 million people each year.

Learn more about the awards: http://1.usa.gov/1iMYK10