Minn. health centers to receive $1.68M for uninsured

Sixteen Minnesota health centers will share $1.68 million in federal funds to help uninsured Minnesotans obtain coverage under the federal health care law. The funding is part of a national grant of $150 million.

The federal health care law will require most Americans to obtain coverage or face a financial penalty.

U.S. Health Resources and Services Administrator Mary Wakefield says health centers are in a great position to help Americans enroll in coverage, understand the benefits and explain how health insurance works: "What a deductible is, what a premium is, for example...they'll be assisting them all the way through the process."

The extra funding is earmarked for the Minnesota health centers to hire 29 additional staff. Each of the 16 Minnesota health centers will receive a minimum of $65,000; St. Paul's West Side Community Health Services will receive the most funding, at about $255,000.

Visit the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration's website for a full list of the Minnesota health centers and their award amounts.