CONNECTICUT DELEGATION APPLAUDS AWARD OF $1.55 MILLION TO LOCAL COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, 13 CENTERS STATEWIDE ELIGIBLE TO BENEFIT

(Hartford,CT) – The Connecticut Congressional delegation issued the following statementtoday regarding the announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices that Connecticut community health centers will receive $1.55 millionin federal funding to expand their efforts and provide assistance to uninsuredindividuals seeking to enroll in affordable health insurance programs:

"We applaud news from the Department ofHealth and Human Services today that thirteen centers across Connecticutserving more than 300,000 individuals will be eligible for over $1.5 million infederal funds to hire new staff, train existing staff, conduct communityoutreach, and to help residents understand and enroll in affordable healthinsurance programs. This is yet another example of the Affordable Care Actproviding critical services to those in need.

"Many of the community health centers'patients are the working poor who do not qualify for Medicaid and cannot affordhealth insurance – people who would greatly benefit from the new affordablehealth insurance program. We will continue to support theirefforts and ensure that all families -- regardless of income -- have timelyaccess to high quality, affordable care. That includes supporting communityoutreach and one-on-one counseling to help connect uninsured individualsto affordable health insurance programs."