Utah getting grants for Medicaid access

Utah is one of 20 states receiving grants to improve access to primary care for Medicaid beneficiaries and to divert them from unnecessary emergency room visits.

The grants help local Medicaid programs fund local and rural initiatives to provide alternative health-care settings for those who do not need emergency medical care.

In all, $50 million will be distributed nationally for the purpose over four years, mostly in rural or other under-served areas. They can be used to fund new community health centers or extend the hours of existing clinics, to educate beneficiaries about new services and to promote electronic health data exchange between facilities to better coordinate care.

Information about the grants is online at www.cms.hhs.gov/GrantsAlternaNonEmergServ/.