New Hampshire assistance with hospital bills.

Additional federal government funds will be sent to New Hampshire so the state can increase assistance provided by its community health centers, including Lamprey Health Care and others.

The money being provided includes over $650,000 for Bi-State Primary Care Association in Concord, which currently in New Hampshire’ largest network of community health centers (CHCs). The money will help defray the costs of increasing marketing, recruitment, and also outreach costs to ensure state residents have access to free health care and assistance from local hospitals.

An additional $600,000 will be provided to Bi-State to provide necessary behavioral health, medical and dental services to both the underinsured and uninsured.

Right now, during these difficult economic times, hospitals that offer free medical assistance and community health centers are a critical resource for many New Hampshire families who can’t afford to pay for health care, maybe as the result of a job loss or other reasons. The federal government funds will help these community health centers across the state offer high-quality preventative, lower cost, and free routine health care.

The free hospitals and New Hampshire Community Health Centers help over 100,000 patients in New Hampshire communities statewide, regardless of a patient's insurance coverage and ability to pay. They deliver high-quality, free or cost-effective dental, medical, and behavioral health care to people in need , including uninsured and under-served.

Some of the other community health centers that will benefit from these funds and offer free health care include the Avis Goodwin Community Health Center; Families First Health and Support Center, Community Action Program; and the Health Care for the Homeless Program. But there are others.