Transformation of the Urban Health Care Safety Net: The Devolution of a Public Responsibility.
Reduced spending in both federal and state programs and the closure of public hospitals have serious consequences for the health of urban dwellers, especially the poor and uninsured. Through a combination of economic factors, many municipalities have formed public-private partnerships and launched community initiatives to preserve some of the elements of the health care safety net. What once was a responsibility of municipal governments, the provision of health care to poor and uninsured populations, is now posing challenges for private-sector providers. This article identifies several factors that have contributed to the incremental demise of the publicly funded urban health care safety net and how local entities and the federal government are responding to the care of the poor and uninsured.
Author Affiliations: Department of Health Services and Information Management, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.
Robert
R
Kulesher
D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D064876:Safety-net Providers; D014504:Urban Health; D014505:Urban Population