On July 10, 2013, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it has awarded $150 million in grants to 1,159 health centers across the U.S. to enroll the uninsured in new health care coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act.
North Carolina received 31 grants totaling $4,123,639. There are 32 health centers in the state with 184 sites. These centers served 430,885 patients last year, 51.53 percent of whom were uninsured.
According to HHS, these health centers will help consumers:
- understand their coverage options through the new Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program;
- determine their eligibility and what financial help they can get; and
- enroll in new health coverage options.
Here is a summary of the health centers that will receive the HHS grants. With this funding, the centers expect to hire additional workers, enabling them to assist approximately 50,000 additional citizens with enrollment into health insurance coverage.