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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Michael Cousineau, DrPH, School of Family Medicine, Division of Community Health, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, 3375 S. Hoover St., Ste. H201, Los Angeles, CA 90007, 213-821-0700, cousinea@usc.edu
Los Angeles County has one of the highest proportions of residents without health insurance of all metropolitan areas in the United States. A survey of private practice primary care physicians in the Metro Service Planning Area of Los Angeles County was completed in the fall of 2000 to determine the extent to which private physicians care for uninsured individuals in their practice and how physicians care for these patients. A total of 93 physicians were interviewed.
Most primary care physicians in private practice provide some care to uninsured patients. The survey found small differences across physician and practice characteristics in the extent of their service to uninsured patients. Male physicians, solo practitioners or partner practices, those physicians with fewer than five managed care contracts, and those serving Medi-Cal managed care patients were more likely to treat uninsured patients or were serving larger percentages of uninsured patients in their practices.
Private physicians generally have not been considered a part of the safety net, yet their collective contribution to providing health care services is substantial and should be considered in developing public policy solutions to the problem of people without health insurance.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in the session will be able to
Keywords: Safety Net, AMA
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.