Community Health Centers: An Acceptable Private Practice Primary Care Alternative for Medicaid and Uninsured

August 9, 2012 -  According to the National Association of Community Health Centers,  nearly 1200 centers, located in 50 states, will serve 20 million patients in 2012.

The Centers care for 20 million Americans, 5% of the population. The patient load includes 35% on Medicaid, 25% on Medicare and private plans. The rest are uninsured.

Federal Funding

The 2009 Stimulus bill directed $2 billion to CHCs. The health reform bill poured another $47.6 billion into CHCs. Beginning in 2011, another $300 million will go to support the National Health Services Corp (NHSC)to recruit and place health professionals in care-short areas. In their new steady state, with 15,000 additional primary care provides in HPSCs, the CHCs may well be entrusted with the primary health care of 40 million Americans – thereby ensuring that most medical disenfranchised Americans receive care.

For private primary care physicians,  30% of whom  may no longer be able to  afford to accept Medicaid or nonpaying  patients,  16 million more citizens  will become Medicaid eligible in 2014 and 14 million more who will receive federal subsidies,  these centers may serve as useful places to reform patients.     The staff of these centers include primary care physicians, nurse practitioners,  and senior residents and faculty from academic medical centers.  The National Centers touts their centers as the largest primary care network in the United States. The centers rely heavily on federal grants, Medicaid funds, and other federal subsidies.  The centers accept all patients, regardless of ability to pay, and address problems of diseases, prgnancies,  births, aging, and mortality.

Practicing physicians who wish to refer needy patients to these centers may find the locations of the centers at www. nachc.com

The number of community health centers in the  states and D.C.  include.

1.       Alabama, 14

2.      Alaska 35

3.      Arizona, 16

4.      Arkansas, 12

5.      California, 118

6.      Colorado, 15

7.      Connecticut, 13

8.     Delaware, 4

9.      DC, 5

10.  Florida, 44

11.   Georgia, 27

12.  Hawaii, 14

13.  Idaho, 11

14.  Illinois, 56

15.   Indiana, 19

16.  Iowa, 13

17.   Kansas, 13

18.  Kentucky, 19

19.  Louisiana, 24

20. Maine, 18

21.  Maryland, 16

22. Massachusetts, 36

23. Michigan, 29

24. Minnesota, 15

25.  Mississippi, 21

26. Missouri 21

27.  Montana, 15

28. Nebraska, 6

29. New Hampshire, 10

30. New Jersey, 20

31.  New Mexico, 15

32. Ney York, 15

33. North Carolina, 27

34. North Dakota, 4

35.  Ohio, 32

36. Oklahoma, 17

37.  Oregon, 25

38. Pennsylvania, 35

39. Rhode Island,8

40. Sourt6h Carolina, 20

41.  South Daimio 6

42. Tennessee, 23

43. Texas, 64

44. Utah, 11

45.  Vermont, 8

46. Virginia 25

47.  West Virginia, 28

48. Wisconsin 16

49. Wy9ming 6

Tweet:  Community Health Centers, funded primarily by government,  now process and  treat  20 million Americans for diseases, pregnancies, birth, and mortality.