The Associated Press’s Kristen Wyatt looks at one category of stimulus spending that’s already making an impact: funding for clinics serving the poor and disadvantaged.
From the Colorado homeless shelter to rural Pennsylvania clinics that can accept new patients, health centers that serve the poor are among the first places the federal stimulus package is being spent.
The stimulus law sets aside $2.5 billion for free and low-cost health clinics, and a big chunk of it – about $500 million – is already being spent. The White House has promised another burst of money this summer.
Wyatt quotes grateful patients and providers, but also tempers the enthusiasm with a reminder that the money comes in the form of one-time grants that aren’t designed to fix the systemic problems behind the lack of health services for America’s poorest residents.
For a full list of Health and Human Services programs receiving stimulus money, visit the HHS page at recovery.gov or use this map to find programs benefiting from the stimulus in your area.
