Monterey, CA For Profits Team With Non Profits To Build Health Centers Near Affordable Housing

View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

A partnership between the public sector and the private sector has resulted in a $100 million fund which will help low-income Americans get health care.  The funds will be used to build community centers near affordable housing centers.  The initiative is a result of the Affordable Care Act, which included $10 billion for the creation of new, federally qualified health centers.  The thinking behind the funding is that although President Obama's health care reform will give medical coverage to another 16 million Americans, they might not use the insurance because they can't afford to get to the doctor.  This is a great legacy that Obama is leaving, because thousands of primary care centers will be built next to affordable housing units where residents can go see the doctor for free.  "The idea that we're going to need a lot more primary care is a foregone conclusion.  We already have a shortage," Stuart Altman, professor of national health policy at Brandeis University told the Wall Street Journal.  "This idea makes a lot of sense to me because we want to move people out of emergency rooms and into these centers for treatment," he said.  Kudos to the creators of the fund called Healthy Futures.  It's backed by Morgan Stanley, The Kresge Foundation and Local Initiatives Support, a non-profit.  Morgan Stanley will loan the money in exchange for tax credits.  This is a great example of how non-profits and for-profits can work together for the greater good.

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands To Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.