Since 2000, the number of uninsured Americans, both nationally and in New England, has risen by nearly 20 percent. In 2005, 46.6 million Americans and 1.5 million New Englanders lacked health insurance. For millions more Americans, the prospect of losing coverage is a tangible and real concern.

This issue of Banking and Community Perspectives focuses on some nonlegislative efforts to foster healthier communities, particularly in low- and moderate-income areas. These efforts are led by both public and private organizations across the Federal Reserve's Eleventh District.

Community health centers (CHCs) played an important role during the recent economic recession as the demand for their services grew significantly. Recently, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas interviewed Jose E. Camacho, executive director/general counsel at the Texas Association of Community...

Benchmarks of economic well-being show that Texas experienced a pattern of highs and lows similar to that of the nation during the recession. However, Texas continues to rank below other states in many of the measures, including median household income, poverty rate, and health insurance coverage.

Because nearly 46 million Americans have no health insurance, medical debt has been behind many of today’s foreclosures. The author offers potential solutions.

As the number and percentage of people without health insurance continues to climb, the goal of expanding such coverage is even more pressing. Traditional strategies have had only limited success. And with little movement at the federal level, states have chosen to enact their own bold...

On December 5, 2006, the New England Public Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston convened a policy symposium, “Covering the Uninsured: Costs, Benefits, and Policy Alternatives for New England.” As a growing number of Americans find themselves without health insurance, New...