Published by: Sandy Laycox on 10/12/2011 1:59:57 PM
In a recent Health Affairs article, study authors admit that “studies of safety-net systems usually focus on shortcomings.” However, in looking for ways to provide better care for the uninsured, they took the opposite approach, focusing instead on model safety net programs that provide services to the uninsured, similar to what basic health care offers. NAPH member University Health System in San Antonio, Texas, was one of the systems chosen for its large, well-structured program.
The study found that “the average monthly resource cost—including the value of referred, donated, and in-kind services—in these model programs … was 25–50 percent less than the estimated cost of care for comparison groups covered by local Medicaid programs or by private insurance that provided similar services.” Results also showed that the programs were run similarly to insurance programs, “enrolling” eligible patients to receive a range of services. In fact, according to the authors, “some people did not realize they were actually uninsured.”
While the authors concede that these programs do not provide the same access to care that generous insurance does, they do offer “much to be learned” about serving the health needs of the uninsured. And the authors noted that these safety net programs could be adapted for a range of situations.
Even as the Affordable Care Act reforms are implemented, millions of Americans will remain uninsured. But NAPH members such as University Health System are highlighting a path to providing accessible, quality care to the patients at low cost.