ACCESS
- Health centers provide access to quality, cost-effective, affordable primary and preventive health care to all people who need it, regardless of ability to pay.
- Health centers serve as the health care home for 17 million people in over 6,000 sites, and are recognized as an invaluable part of the nation’s health delivery system.
- Today, 56 million Americans – many of whom have health insurance – lack access to basic health care because they live in communities where there is an acute shortage of primary care providers.
- Health centers currently serve:
1 in 7 uninsured persons in America, including 1 in 5 low income uninsured
1 in 8 Medicaid beneficiaries
Almost 1 in 3 people in poverty
1 in 4 low income, minorities
1 in 9 rural Americans
COST
- According to a recent study, medical expenses for patients who receive most of their care at a health center are 41% lower ($1,810 per person annually) compared to patients seen elsewhere. The National Association of Community Health Centers estimates that health centers save the health care system $9.9 billion to $17.6 billion a year.
- Under the health center ACCESS for All America Plan to reach 30 million patients by the year 2015, health centers would generate savings as high as $40 billion.
- $18 billion a year is wasted on avoidable visits to the emergency room that could have been redirected to a health center or other community provider.
- The annual care costs of health centers are $250 less than private providers.
QUALITY
- Numerous independent studies have found that the quality of care of health centers is as good or better than the quality of other primary care providers.
- The White House Office of Management and Budget has ranked health centers as one of the 10 most effective government programs – a designation earned by only six percent of all federal programs (visit www.expectmore.gov for more information).
- Numerous independent studies show that health centers provide high-quality and cost-effective care, reduce racial and ethnic health disparities and generate large costs savings to the health care system.
