$90 million urged to expand healthcare in Washington, DC

Washington, DC, should spend $90 million in tobacco settlement money to expand primary and urgent healthcare through community health centers in the city's underserved areas, the independent Rand Corp. advised in a report. The report provides guidance on Washington's critical health needs and how the settlement money could be used to address them. The city has a total of about $245 million from a 1998 national settlement between tobacco companies and states. Rand also suggested spending $24 million on improving electronic medical records systems and reserving $7.5 million for mental and oral health issues.