title: Review and analysis of incremental approaches to meeting the needs of the uninsured and under-insured.
abstract: The US healthcare delivery system, by all accounts, is the most advanced and sophisticated healthcare system in the world. Clinical advances in diagnostic and therapeutic regimens, superior performance in biomedical research, and the development and use of the latest management and medical technologies are all hallmarks of the system. While the US healthcare system has been extremely successful, concerns remain about access to care for a large segment of the population. This article examined the various approaches that have been adopted and those that are being proposed to bridge the existing gap in health insurance coverage. The underlying assumptions of the proposed strategies were examined, and the conditions necessary for the successful implementation of these strategies were also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Administration and Policy, Arizona State University, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rivers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000458:organization & administration; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017664:Uncompensated Care / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States