WASHINGTON, D.C. – The office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the February edition of his Inside Maine podcast. This month Senator King is joined by Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Holly DeYoung, the CEO of Eastport Health Care, to discuss the vital role Community Health Centers (CHCs) play in our nation’s healthcare system.  

CHCs, also known as federally qualified health centers, are a critical part of the nation’s primary care network, serving approximately 26 million patients at over 10,000 sites throughout the United States. Community health centers operate in both rural and urban areas, in every state in the nation. Last year, health centers were the medical home for one in twelve Americans, one in ten children, one in six Americans living in rural areas, and more than 330,000 of our nation’s veterans. Funding for CHCs was reauthorized for two years in the February budget deal, and included a funding increase of $600 million.

Senator King has been outspoken in his support for CHCs, which provide care to more than 200,000 people in Maine. In November, the Senator spoke on the Senate floor to underscore the critical need to fund community health centers. He also signed two bipartisan letters, led by Senators Blunt and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), asking Senate leaders to reauthorize funding for CHCs, and cosponsored the CHIME Act which would have reauthorized key programs for five years. In Maine, the state’s 20 centers and 70 facilities have saved Medicaid in Maine over $100 million and the Maine Primary Care Association estimates FQHCs have saved $257 million in the overall health care system in Maine.

The “Inside Maine Podcast with Senator Angus King” is a 30-minute program that aims to help keep Maine people informed about issues of the day, how they affect life in the state, and how they factor into Senator King’s work as one of two independents in the U.S. Senate. Senator King’s podcast builds on his existing radio show that airs on Newsradio WGAN in Portland, Maine between 10 and 11 a.m. on almost every last Saturday of the month.

A link to the February podcast can be found HERE.