Now that the Supreme Court has sanction the Affordable Care Act , the medical professing is plump to witness itself with a lot more customers — many of which will doubtless be shunted off toFederally Qualified Health Centers(FQHC ) and their look - alikes , which tend to handle “ underserved ” and crushed - income populations . These centers are aim at population with special access to wellness attention — so they ’re quite possibly not as fancy as private practice . But it deform out they achieve the same outcome — or , in some cases , good ones .
Top simulacrum : Alex Proimos / Flickr .
A fresh publish work ( complimentary to record online here ) in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looked at how FQHCs and “ expect - likewise ” clinic fare in serve low - income patient , as compare to private practice providers . They were rated on 18 different factors in four sections :

( 1 ) pharmacologic direction of common continuing diseases , including atrial fıbrillation , pump failure , coronary artery disease , asthma , and depression ( nine measures ) ; ( 2 ) preventive counselling regarding smoke surcease , diet , and exercise for individuals at gamy jeopardy of coronary artery disease by age , gender , and comorbidities ( fıve measure ) ; ( 3 ) appropriate purpose of screening tests for blood press , EKG , and urinalysis ( three measures ) ; and ( 4 ) appropriate prescribing in elderly patients ( one criterion )
FQHCs receive federal funding , and both they and their “ look - alikes ” get enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement , and treat underserved and low - income populations — so there ’s a widespread August 15 that the service they provide is lower character . Yet , this work showed that in eleven of the areas the researchers look at , FQHCs performed just as well as private practice doctors . They actually did better in six surface area , and performed worse in just one : diet counsel in at - risk adolescents .
So while they may have patient that are at a socioeconomic and health disadvantage , these federally funded clinic do an ample occupation of caring for them . And with 1000000 more to be seeking treatment under the fresh law , your local Community Health Center might get a bit more crowded .

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