 (Image: Evil Erin under CC 2.0) |
If you’re uninsured, you can end up in a bind. Without a health insurance plan, many people are unable to afford to visit a doctor. However, going to the hospital is also expensive–and often unnecessary. Although you can receive treatment that way, the cost is passed on to the public through higher medical insurance premiums. Then health insurance is even further out of reach!
What’s the solution? Community health centers may be an effective, cheap way to provide preventative care to people who are uninsured or under-insured. Those who live in rural areas far away from hospitals can also benefit. The federal government has decided to increase funding for these centers, which will allow them to treat more poor and working-class children and adults. It is estimated that a quarter of low-income children who lack family health insurance receive primary care from these centers.
The network of 1,200 community health centers in the United States will receive $290 million in President Obama’s latest budget. That’s on top of the $2 billion they received in last year’s stimulus package. A group of researchers recently found that every extra $500,000 in funding allows such centers to take over 500 more uninsured patients each, while creating jobs.
Tags: community health center, family health insurance, health insurance, medical insurance, uninsured
