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Consolidated Health Centers

Program Description

Health Centers offer access to comprehensive primary and preventive health care and social services to medically unserved and underserved populations. Federally funded health centers offer services to the general community, as well as specific special populations including: migrant and seasonal farmworkers, homeless, public housing residents, and school aged children. Services are provided to all residents of the service area without regard to an individual's ability to pay.

General Program Requirements

All people are eligible to receive health care services at a federally funding health center. Health centers funded through the Consolidated Health Centers Program are required to provide services to all individuals regardless of ability to pay. Federally funded health centers also must provide a schedule of discounts corresponding to established charges for individuals with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.


Program Contact Information: For more information about the Consolidated Health Centers Program, visit:
http://bphc.hrsa.gov

To locate a service delivery site in your area, visit:
http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov

To speak with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about the CHC program, call:
301-594-4300

Or write to:
Division of Health Center Development
Bureau of Primary Health Care, HRSA
5600 Fishers Lane, 17-61
Rockville, MD 20857

Managing Agency
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov

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Providing Access to Health Care in the Nation's Most Needy Communities

Health Centers work in communities, providing access to high quality, family oriented, comprehensive primary and preventive health care, regardless of patients' ability to pay.

In 2007, Health Centers cared for

* More than 16 million patients, including
* 2.8 million who received dental services
* 617,000 who received mental health care

Health Centers also:

* Employ more than 100,000 people in underserved communities
* Leverage more than $9 billion in other health resources

Learn more: Health Centers: America's Primary Care Safety Net Reflections on Success, 2002-2007

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Bush Tells Uninsured "Just Go to Emergency Room"

In the President's speech in Cleveland he touched on health care. My hospital administrator friends likely would be surprised by what he said.

"I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room. The question is, will we be wise about how we pay for health care."

Yes, Mr. President how will we pay for all those expensive ER referrals you just made? In San Angelo the average ER charge was $775 per visit in 2004. The uninsured accounted for over $11 million in charges between the two area hospitals, with over 80% borne by our nonprofit community hospital. Contrast that with an average charge of $76 at our community health center.

Your suggestion of "just going to an Emergency Room" works against your very next sentence as it isn't a wise use of resources. In discounting the existence of a major social problem you provide just the wrong solution. <...snip...>

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New Rule Would Take Effect Nov. 10: - Bush Administration Proposes Plan to Weaken Emergency Room Care Standards

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 3-U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today condemned the Bush Administration's plan to weaken standards for emergency room care that were instituted in 1986 to stop hospitals from denying care to uninsured patients in need of emergency services. The Bush Administration plans to publish the new regulations next week in the Federal Register and the change will take effect on Nov. 10.

The Congressman, a leader in expanding access to emergency room care and in protecting patients' rights, urged the Bush Administration to reconsider the new regulations because they will "drastically affect access to care and endanger the health and lives of many who seek treatment in our nation's emergency rooms."

Currently, 44 million Americans lack health insurance. Rep. Cardin stressed that hospitals enjoy a tax preference as part of the requirement to treat those without health insurance. "Weakening standards for emergency room care is not the way to deal with the uninsured," he said.

The new regulations will undermine protections established in 1986 by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). That law requires hospitals to provide a medical screening examination for patients seeking emergency services. Hospitals must also stabilize the patient or transfer the patient to another institution. EMTALA also requires hospitals to maintain a list of doctors who are on call to treat emergency room patients.

Under the new Bush Administration regulations, hospitals will no longer be required to have doctors on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It also allows doctors to have on-call duties at two or more hospitals simultaneously and to schedule elective surgery or other procedures when on call.

"These regulations will gut emergency room care. They will let hospitals slash their ER staffs to the point where they will be unable to provide basic screening and stabilization as required by law. Patients will see drastically reduced access to specialists such as neurosurgeons, orthopedists, and cardiologists," said Rep. Cardin. <...snip...>

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What is a Community Health Center?

Community Health Centers are non-profit community based health care providers whose health care facilities are located in medically underserved areas or health professional shortage areas. They provide primary care, and in many cases, dental care, laboratory services, pharmaceutical services, behavioral health and preventive health. In Virginia there are 26 community health centers with 80 sites.

Community Health Centers receive some funding from the federal government, normally referred to as Section 330 grants. These funds help them underwrite the cost of providing care in their communities. Community health centers will see patients with Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance or other payor sources. Also, community health centers compete for other non-federal grants and contracts.

It is important to keep in mind that community health centers do not compete with other health providers. Community Health Centers serve local communities that have been deemed as being either medically underserved areas, or health professional shortage areas. As such, these are areas that private practices either have chosen to serve, or providers simply are not available in the community. Other than that, community health centers typically offer all the services you would find in a regular private practice, and in most cases, community health centers provide even more services than would normally be found in a typical private practice, such as dental and behavioral health services.

Feeling the sting of economic hard times? Help is available!

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I wish that website had a "search by zip code" to readily locate local resources. I've added it to my page, thanks!

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after entering my ZIP CODE at this link

Qualifying in Virginia

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1. You already participate in one of the following assistance programs:
* Federal Public Housing Assistance / Section 8
* Food Stamps
* Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
* Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
* National School Lunch (free program only)
* Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
* Medicaid

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07 March 2009
Middle class families looking to agencies for help

Carmelita Dorsey is trying to make ends meet.

Lately, that has been a struggle.

She packs her kids' lunches, limits her driving and has started unplugging appliances to save on her family's skyrocketing utility bill.

A year ago, she and her brother moved in to together to help shoulder the bills.

Still, the 39-year-old Tempe school secretary is struggling.

"Honestly, we live paycheck to paycheck," she said. "I feel embarrassed. A little bit ashamed. But I'm not out there spending money. I'm not getting my nails done. Everything's just so expensive."

Experts say problems like Dorsey's are becoming more common as middle-class families realize their paychecks are not sufficient to cover the rising cost of living.

That, combined with increasing numbers of families being blind sided by job losses, is resulting in more formerly self-sufficient people needing financial support from agencies.

<...snip...>

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Help for Homeowners Facing the Loss of Their Home (or call toll free 1-800-569-4287)