Delaware’s Congressional Delegation Announce Grant Awards to Federally Qualified Health Centers to Help Delawareans Find Affordable Insurance

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Representative John Carney (all D-Del.) announced grant awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Delaware’s federally qualified health centers to help enroll Delawareans in health insurance coverage.

La Red Health Center, Henrietta Johnson Medical Center and Westside Family Healthcare received $177,872 to help with their enrollment efforts in the communities they serve in Delaware’s three counties. With these awards, health centers will be able 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.

“This funding will help our health centers continue to do the good work they are already doing in the community by getting our uninsured Delawareans affordable, quality health insurance,” said Sen. Carper. “I am proud of the work they are doing on the front lines to inform, care for and offer preventive medicine to Delawareans.”

“Giving more Americans access to quality health care ‎is the fundamental goal of the Affordable Care Act,” Senator Coons said. “Many Delawareans need assistance to enroll for their new health insurance coverage and this grant will expand trusted health care centers to meet these families and individuals’ needs.”

“Federally qualified health centers are a critical part of the health care system in our state.  They are trusted sources of information, support, and care for many Delawareans who are uninsured or underinsured,” said Congressman Carney.  “Westside Family Healthcare, La Red, and Henrietta Johnson are already working tirelessly to help Delawareans enroll in health insurance plans that meet their needs.  This funding will assist their efforts and get more people in our community access to quality, affordable coverage.”

Delaware’s three health centers served 39,401 patients last year, with more than 37 percent of them uninsured.