Local Government
Tools that Made
the Difference
Recovery Act Funding
Help for Community Health Centers
| Purpose | Funding (millions) |
|---|---|
| Renovations | $44.3 |
| Increased Demand for Services | $20.0 |
| New Centers | $14.4 |
Source: HHS.gov/Recovery
For a list of the 65 Texas centers receiving federal stimulus money, go to The Department of Health and Human Services’ Recovery site.
Insurance Status
| Status | Percent |
|---|---|
| Uninsured | 44% |
| Medicaid | 44% |
| Medicare | 3% |
| CHIP | 3% |
| Other Public Insurance | 2% |
| Private Insurance | 4% |
Source: Lone Star Circle
of Care
Income as a Percent of Poverty Level
| Income (compared to poverty level) | Percent of Population |
|---|---|
| 100% and below | 57% |
| 101-150% | 24% |
| 151-200% | 8% |
| Over 200% | 5% |
| Unknown | 6% |
Source: Lone Star Circle of Care
For a four-person household, the 2009 federal poverty level is defined as income of $22,050 per year. For a single-person household, the amount drops to $10,830 per year.
Stimulating Health Care
Federal money funds health care expansions
Community health centers in Texas are on the front lines of providing primary health care in a state that leads the nation in residents without insurance.
“We are seeing a dramatic surge in uninsured adults,” says Rebekah Haynes, communications director for Lone Star Circle of Care, which operates 10 clinics in Central Texas, mostly in Williamson County. “The stimulus has allowed us to add resources and continue providing high-quality care as we see more and more (uninsured) patients.”
More than four of every 10 patients at Lone Star Circle of Care are uninsured. Only 4 percent of the clientele have private insurance, while the rest are covered through Medicare, Medicaid or other public health insurance.
As the recession deepened, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided about $78 million to 65 community health centers across Texas – with the prospect of more to come.
In addition to grants to health centers, the federal stimulus law has touched health care in Texas in a variety of ways:
- As many as 470,000 Texans who lost their jobs can continue their health insurance at reduced rates through COBRA.
- Almost $26 million is directed to hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of Medicaid patients.
- The federal government also will pay 35 percent of the interest on new Build America Bonds to finance public projects, including hospitals.
Jose E. Camacho, executive director of the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, says the new funds are welcome. In Dallas, taxpayers will save $120 million using the bonds to finance the construction of a $1.27 billion campus for Parkland Memorial Hospital, says John Dragovits, the hospital’s chief financial officer.
“It’s a no-brainer,” Dragovits says of the federal subsidy.
But it’s the community health centers where many Texans will first see the effects of increased federal funding. The 65 centers will use $78 million to hire additional staff, renovate and expand clinics or open new facilities.
This year, Lone Star Circle of Care opened a clinic in South Austin and renovated a strip shopping center in Georgetown for a new hub that will provide dental, behavioral health and pharmaceutical services as well as primary care for adults and seniors.
Lone Star Circle of Care was expanding anyway, but Haynes says the new federal funding made it easier: “The stimulus has come at an opportune time.”
The $78 million in additional funding to Texas facilities is significant.
By comparison, in 2007, the total revenue for all community health centers in Texas was $391 million, including $99 million from the federal government. TR