Press Release 8/11/15

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06) announced $3.6 million in Affordable Care Act funding to community health centers in New Jersey.  This funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide access to services to Medicaid recipients and the uninsured in underserved communities.

“Community Health Centers attend to hard-to-reach populations and are a vital community resource that have a significant impact in improving health in New Jersey,” said Congressman Pallone.  “This funding, which is yet another example of the positive and transformative impact the Affordable Care Act is having in New Jersey and across the country, will be instrumental in our efforts to continue serving those who need it most.”

Specializing in providing cost-effective and high-quality primary and preventive health care, Community Health Centers generate $24 billion annually in savings to the health care system, due largely to their success in reducing the need for patients to seek care in costlier health care settings (like emergency departments and hospitals).  These centers deliver care at a total cost of just $1.51 per patient per day and serve as drivers of economic activity in the communities where they are located.

Community Health Centers are locally-controlled, non-profit entities that provide primary care, oral, behavioral, and pharmacy services in our most underserved rural and urban areas. New Jersey is home to 20 federally supported health centers serving 483,113 patients, over 42% of whom are uninsured.

Pallone has been an outspoken advocate for Community Health Centers throughout his career.  The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which Pallone co-authored and helped usher through the House of Representatives earlier this year, addressed the looming expiration of funding for Community Health Centers.  The funding was set to expire at the end of this year, but the law instead extends funding through 2017.

For years, Congressman Pallone has consistently advocated for Community Health Centers, leading bipartisan efforts the House Appropriations Committee resulting in increased support for these safety net health providers.

The total $3,697,689 in funding for New Jersey includes $566,667 for Perth Amboy’s Jewish Renaissance Foundation in the Sixth Congressional District.  A full list of the funding recipients can be found at: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/programopportunities/fundingopportunities/NAP/0815awards/index.html