$5.2 million awarded to 20 NJ health centers to help uninsured Americans gain affordable health insurance coverage

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $201,594 federal grant to the Paterson Community Health Center, Inc. to provide assistance in enrolling uninsured Americans in new health insurance coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  In total, 1,157 health centers across the nation will receive $58 million in grant awards, with 20 health centers across New Jersey receiving $5,178,537.

"These federal resources couldn't come at a better time as millions of Americans continue to learn about the quality, affordable health coverage available to them through the ACA," said Rep. Pascrell, who just this week hosted an ACA enrollment event at the Passaic County Community College.  "Having face-to-face assistance from community partners like Paterson Community Health Center ensures that families will get the help they need in understanding their insurance options and to get enrolled.  I'll continue to fight to ensure New Jerseyans have the federal resources they need to realize the full benefits of the law."

The funds announced today, issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will allow health centers like Paterson Community Health Center, Inc. to meet immediate needs, including expanding the hours of existing outreach and enrollment assistance workers, and hiring new or temporary outreach and enrollment assistance workers. These awards complement and align with other federal efforts to help Americans get access to affordable health insurance coverage. Today’s awards also build upon earlier health center program investments of $150 million nationwide to support outreach and enrollment activities.

Paterson Community Health Center will receive $130,863 in FY 13 and $70,731 in FY 14, while New Jersey's total award amounts to $3,387,083 in FY 13 and $1,791,454 in FY 14.

New Jersey has 20 health centers with 125 sites that served 467,913 patients last year, 43.25 percent of them uninsured. With their FY 13 Outreach and Enrollment funding, the health centers listed below expected to hire 69 additional workers, who will assist 73,201 people with enrollment into affordable health insurance coverage.

To see a list of grantees in New Jersey, visit: www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2013tables/outreachandenrollment/. 

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