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Managed Care and Physicians' Provision of Charity Care Journal of the American Medical Association |
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Pressures on the Health Care Safety Net: Health Services Research |
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Ability to Obtain Medical Care for the Uninsured Journal of the American Medical Association |
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A Changing Picture of Uncompensated Care
July/August 1997
Health Affairs, vol.16, no.4 (July/August 1997): 167-175
Peter J. Cunningham, Ha T. Tu
rends in the provision of uncompensated care were measured in three
areas: hospitals, physicians and community health centers. There has not been an increase
in the relative amount of uncompensated care provided by hospitals, but such care that has
been provided is more concentrated among fewer hospitals. Private physicians provide an
increasing amount of uncompensated care in terms of both charity care and bad debt, both
perhaps related to greater numbers of underinsured patients. Community health centers have
seen expanded revenue and have treated an increased number (but still a small percentage
of the total) of uninsured patients. While it is difficult to make inferences about these
trends, reduction in the provision of uncompensated care could result in decreased access
to care for the uninsured.
Free access to this article is available at the Health Affairs Web site.
