The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced it will be awarding $17 million to help improve healthcare in the country.

Three sets of grants will help fund patient-centered research. Most of the research being funded will focus on primary care and pediatrics, but some funds will also help aid research for the care and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Health Resources and Services Administration Administrator Mary Wakefield says the funds will help fund programs that are normally neglected.

"These funds allow us to invest in robust systems and infrastructure to bring patient-centered research knowledge into everyday clinical decision-making for the diverse and vulnerable populations that HRSA serves, and that are often under-represented in this kind of research," says Wakefield.

Investing in healthcare research initiatives will help the country improve the healthcare system and better serve patients. Patient-centered outcomes research focuses on comparing treatments used amongst patients to determine which are most effective.

Funding for the research is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was signed by President Barack Obama in February of last year.

It's not uncommon for some people to feel as though their paycheck doesn't go as far as it once did. Research shows it may not be just a feeling, but a fact.

The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust recently revealed results from their Employer Health Benefits Survey. Their data reveals that workers on average are paying $482 a year more for family health coverage than they did in 2009.

With many businesses still struggling financially, many companies are saddling more of their employees with healthcare costs.

HRET president and American Hospital Association research vice president Dr. Maulik Joshi says burdening employees with healthcare costs can have consequences.

"High out-of-pocket expenses and premiums affect health care decisions for patients," says Joshi. "If premiums and costs continue to be shifted to consumers, households will face difficult choices, like forgoing needed care, or reexamining how they can best care for their families."

Even though costs may seem high, people shouldn't go without health insurance. In the event of a serious illness or accident, hospital bills could far exceed the monthly insurance premiums paid.

Cincinnati and Detroit have been chosen as pilot communities for the Beacon Community Program. The initiative aims to use health information technology to improve health problems.

There are currently 15 other communities that are part of the program. More than 100 applications were received for the final two spots. Some of the programs funded are trying to help prevent and better manage diabetes and pediatric asthma, for example. Such conditions have been known to drive up health insurance quotes when people are looking for coverage.

Health information technology national coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal says communities nationwide are ready to embrace health technology.

"Beacon communities are designed to point the way toward maximizing community resources to address specific health goals at the local level, including quality of care, the cost of care, and the health of the whole population," said Blumenthal. "We have seen first-hand through the Beacon application process that a great many communities have promising ideas and are starting to use health IT in innovative ways."

The funding will also help create jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says unemployment remains high at 9.5 percent.

Like other initiatives by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it's hoped that the research and funding will help improve the healthcare system.