Model Of Care

people standing at a desk smiling

Community Health Centers (CHCs), usually referred to as "community clinics", are often an overlooked, yet vital part of our society's health and social service system. They provide a steady source of preventative medical care to uninsured people, and often serve as the starting point for access to other health and social programs. Access to CHCs translates to more people seeing the doctor when they need to and less people in the emergency room. The net effect: healthier, more productive communities.

Some other commonly overlooked, but important facts about CHCs1:

  • The average annual cost per patient at CHCs is $445 vs.$657 for office-based providers
  • Several recent studies have found that Medicaid patients who regularly use health centers receive care of equal or greater quality and cost significantly less than those who use other providers, such as HMOs, hospital outpatient units or private physicians

Footnote: [1] To view these studies or learn more about Community Health Center effectiveness, you can go to the California Primary Care Association website.