• Community Health Centers (CHC) play a crucial role in providing South Dakotans with high-quality health care. In 2012, CHC treated 56,000 patients in over 200,000 visits to their clinics.  This includes 12,000 patients who received dental care and 20,000 patients who do not have health insurance. There are six primary clinics across South Dakota and each of them have several satellite facilities.
• I recently toured the De Smet Community Health Center to see first-hand the kind of quality care these facilities provide and was very impressed. CHC are well known for providing first rate primary health care in medically underserved communities. Education about health care programs is part of CHC mission too. In fact, CHC have a history of providing eligibility information and enrollment assistance to people for Medicaid and the federal Children's Health Insurance Program.
•  Now Community Health Centers are poised to expand their role. Under the Affordable Care Act uninsured South Dakotans will be able to purchase health insurance through a new Federally Facilitated Marketplace beginning on October 1^st. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is setting up the Health Insurance Marketplace with state oversight of the health insurance companies. Companies offering health insurance under the marketplace include Avera Health, Sanford Health, and DAKOTACARE.
• Community Health Centers will play an important part in implementing the new Health Insurance Marketplace in South Dakota. With funding assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, CHC will be conducting outreach, education, and enrollment to help South Dakotans access health insurance coverage.
•  To carry out this new and expanded role designated staff at CHC are undergoing training to become specialized Certified Application Counselors. These counselors will provide consumers with help in understanding the new health insurance options available to them. They will also provide assistance to individuals to actually sign up for health insurance coverage.
• Additionally, CHC will be able to help individuals understand what financial assis

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