Exploring the limits of the safety net: community health centers and care for the uninsured.
This paper explores the extent to which community health centers (CHCs) are able to manage their uninsured patient caseloads. We found that CHCs can provide primary care, medications, and medical supplies to most of their uninsured patients on site but are limited in their ability to provide diagnostic, specialty, and behavioral health services. Uninsured patients often fail to receive additional services for which they are referred, and it is much more difficult for CHC physicians to arrange specialty or nonemergency hospital care for their uninsured patients than for their insured patients.
Gusmano
Michael K
MK
Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, New York University, New York City, USA.
Fairbrother
Gerry
G
Park
Heidi
H
D019090:Case Management; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D004470:Economics, Medical; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008484:Medicaid; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics; D013038:Specialization; D017664:Uncompensated Care / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States; D016526:Workload