Why, in the 1960s, were the health-related programs of Medicare, Medicaid, and Neighborhood Health Centers assigned to non-health federal agencies instead of the Public Health Service?
The official establishment of the health-related programs of Medicare, Medicaid and Neighbourhood Health Centres was triggered by the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The aim of these clinics was to provide access points to health and social services to medically under-served and disenfranchised populations. Because these health centers were intended to serve as a mechanism for community empowerment, they were assigned to non-health federal agencies instead of the Public Health Service. Accordingly, federal funds for the clinics went directly to the non-federal agencies and they were designed and run with extensive community involvement to ensure that they remained responsive to community needs.
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