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Ready or Not: Are Health Care Safety Net Systems Prepared for Reform?
CHCF Regional Market Issue Brief
June 2013
Laurie E. Felland, Dori A. Cross
As part of the California Health Care Almanac project, the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) funded HSC to conduct interviews in six California communities in 2011-12 to assess how the organization, financing and delivery of health care are changing, including preparations for health reform.
One issue examined across all six regions is the status of community safety-net systems. Under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), large numbers of Californians will become eligible for Medi-Cal in 2014. Even with federal resources to help safety-net providers prepare, however, communities with weaker safety-net systems are lagging in reform preparations.
As a result, low-income people in those communities may be left without health coverage and timely access to health care services. Even well-prepared regions will need time and assistance to help people gain health care coverage.
Access to this article is available at California HealthCare Foundation website.
