Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care for Community Health Center Patients: Evidence Following the Affordable Care Act

Excerpt

Community Health Centers (CHCs) provide primary care services to 26 million low-income patients annually, offering preventive services, chronic disease management services, and some mental health and substance abuse services to patients without regard for ability to pay. Despite experiencing substantial coverage gains following the Affordable Care Act (ACA), CHC patients continue to have high rates of uninsurance: in 2014, 23% of CHC patients in Medicaid expansion states and 39% of CHC patients in non-expansion states remained without coverage.¹ Lack of insurance coverage among CHC patients may compromise access to important health services that are often not directly provided in CHCs, including specialty care,² prescription medications,³ and behavioral health services. This in turn may lead to adverse health outcomes for these patients. …