Indiana CHCs Impact on Local Economics
INDIANAPOLIS (January 27, 2021)—Community Health Centers (CHCs) are part of the backbone of Indiana’s health care safety-net, and a recent study conducted by The Center for Health Policy at the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health demonstrates the nearly $1 billion annual economic impact CHCs have in underserved areas of Indiana. Non-profit, community-driven primary health care providers, CHCs serve Hoosiers who are identified as medically underserved and may otherwise have no access to health care. Collectively, Indiana’s CHCs provided primary care services to nearly 600,000 Hoosiers in 2019, almost 70% of whom were on Medicaid or uninsured. More than 50% identified as a racial/ethnic minority.
CHCs have demonstrated dramatic growth over the last decade to meet the needs of underserved Hoosiers, which has resulted in a nearly 5-fold increase in economic impact. “Indiana’s Community Health Centers are critical providers of care to many Indiana communities,” said Ben Harvey, CEO, Indiana Primary Health Care Association. “Hoosiers across Indiana are relying on CHCs for their point of health care, and we now know how much impact CHCs have in their communities beyond the provision of high-quality health care.”
CHCs employ nearly 3,000 Hoosiers in underserved areas and return $31.7 million in state and local tax revenue. “Health centers are community-driven, economic drivers in communities of Indiana that are likely to be economically distressed, as well as medically underserved,” states Harvey. “CHCs meet the needs of communities, delivering timely access to low cost, high-quality, comprehensive care while serving as a cornerstone of community building and coordination.”
About IPHCA
IPHCA is the voice of CHCs that provide primary and preventive health care to nearly 600,000 patients in rural and urban communities across Indiana. IPHCA advocates to advance health policy in state and national government. IPHCA offers operational support and training to health centers to enhance integrated care delivery, inclusive of primary care, oral health, and behavioral health. IPHCA’s goal is to get ALL people in Indiana the proper health care they need. For more information, please visit www.indianapca.org.