title: Predictors of payment behavior among the medically uninsured: a prospective cohort study of patients seeking ambulatory services.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the characteristics of uninsured patients who attempt to pay for their care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to identify predictors of payment after receiving care at three urban hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and seventy uninsured ambulatory patients were interviewed about their health status, income, and credit and payment histories at the point of care. Eighteen months later, data on payment outcomes were extracted from the medical financial records for each subject.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were more likely to make a payment if they reported higher income, health insurance for other services, or worrying about their credit. They were less likely to pay anything if they owed a large sum, were seeking care at the public site, or had received care in an emergency room.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific characteristics of uninsured patients, the site of care, and the size of the bill are all associated with payment outcome.
authors.affiliation: Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. sweiner@uic.edu
authors.forename: Saul J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000191:economics; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010350:Patient Credit and Collection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D036301:Qualitative Research