Providing Free Care to the Uninsured: How Much Should Physicians Give?
Authors: Avraham Astor, Gopal Sreenivasan
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Letters4 November 2003Providing Free Care to the Uninsured: How Much Should Physicians Give?Avraham Astor, BA and Gopal Sreenivasan, PhDAvraham Astor, BAFrom the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada.Search for more papers by this author and Gopal Sreenivasan, PhDFrom the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-139-9-200311040-00022-w2 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: According to the latest U.S. census report, more than 43 million Americans were uninsured in 2002 (1). While efforts to expand coverage are of the utmost importance, deficits in the federal budget and strapped state budgets will probably make it impossible to guarantee universal insurance in the foreseeable future. Indeed, rising health care costs are likely to increase the number of uninsured in the coming years (2). Consequently, while attempts are made to achieve universal coverage, we must focus on ways to address the medical needs of the poor and uninsured within the current system.Free care by physicians ...References1. Mills R, Bhandari S. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports. Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2002. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2003. Google Scholar2. Gilmer T, Kronick R. Calm before the storm: expected increase in the number of uninsured Americans. Health Aff (Millwood). 2001;20:207-10. [PMID: 11816660] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Cunningham PJ, Whitmore HH. Research Report No. 1: How Well Do Communities Perform on Access to Care for the Uninsured? Results from the Community Tracking Study. Washington, DC: Center for Studying Health System Change; 1998. Google Scholar4. Hadley J, Holahan J. How much medical care do the uninsured use, and who pays for it? Health Aff (Millwood). 2003;22:66-81. CrossrefGoogle Scholar5. Kane CK. Physician Marketplace Report: Physician Provision of Charity Care, 1988-1999. Chicago: American Medical Association, Center for Health Policy Research; 2002. Google Scholar6. Reed MC, Cunningham PJ, Stoddard J. Issue Brief 42: Physicians Pulling Back from Charity Care. Washington, DC: Center for Studying Health System Change; 2001. Google Scholar7. Holahan J. Health status and the cost of expanding insurance coverage. Health Aff (Millwood). 2001;20:279-86. [PMID: 11816668] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S. Chicago: American Medical Association, Survey and Data Resources; 2001. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada.Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the National Institutes of Health, the Public Health Service, or the Department of Health and Human Services of the U.S. government. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byThe dermatologist's role in tattoo removal for incarcerated individuals 4 November 2003Volume 139, Issue 9Page: W-78KeywordsForecastingHealth careHospitalsMedical servicesNursesPrimary carePrimary care physiciansSurgeons ePublished: 4 November 2003 Issue Published: 4 November 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...