The historic health reform law recently enacted promises to expand and make affordable health insurance coverage to more people in America at a time when there are now 47 million Americas who are uninsured. But the new law isn’t just about coverage, it’s also about access (because people need insurance and a place to go for care). Community Health Centers will definitely play a vital role in future health care delivery under the reform plan.
Judging by recent headlines, the word is getting out about the new face of primary care. Columbia News Service highlights the coming expanded role of health centers as implementation starts, with the number of patients seeking care expected to double to 40 million by 2015. The Phoenix Business Journal says that some Arizona health centers can also expect improvements as they gear up for electronic health record systems. California is another state that has already anticipated what the funds will do for them as they expect to serve as many as 1.3 million more Californians.
An article in the Oakland Press reminds everyone that although this landmark health care reform law aims to reach every facet of health care it will take years to build an entirely new health care system.