Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Massachusetts Law Increases Use Of Community Health Centers
Many newly insured residents in Massachusetts are choosing to get their healthcare at community health centers around the state. Community centers provide a variety of care — including child and pediatric care, prenatal services, social services, substance abuse treatment, dental care, and preventive care.
“We’ve seen quite a surge in demand. Although in many cases patients could go elsewhere, the health centers offer a whole range of services you can’t get from a private provider,“ said Kerin O’Toole, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers.
There were 760,301 patients that visited community health centers in 2006 — an increase of almost 94,000 from 2005. This year and next year, the numbers are only expected to increase as community centers are expanding and taking a larger bulk of patients. Healthcare officials are attributing the increased numbers to the mandate law in the state that requires all residents obtain health insurance.
“We are front and center in the new healthcare legislation,“ said O’Toole.
“In the urgent-care department, we are clearly seeing new people. People who have new access through insurance are taking advantage of it,“ added medical director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Chelsea Health Care Center, Tom Sterne.
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