Health Insurance Status and Eligibility Among Patients who Seek Healthcare at a Free Clinic in the Affordable Care Act Era.
J Community Health
; 43(2): 263-267, 2018 04.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28831638
ABSTRACT
Free clinics provide care to over 1.8 million people in the United States every year and are a valuable safety net for uninsured and underinsured patients. The Affordable Care Act has resulted in millions of newly insured Americans, yet there is continued demand for healthcare at free clinics. In this study, we assessed health insurance status and eligibility among 489 patients who visited a free clinic in 2016. Eighty-seven percent of patients seen were uninsured, 53.1% of whom were eligible for health insurance (Medicaid or subsidized insurance premiums). The majority of these patients completed health insurance applications at their visit with the help of a navigator. A majority of patients who were not eligible for health insurance lacked citizenship status. This study highlights that a significant number of patients who visit free clinics are eligible for health insurance, and that free clinics are important sites for health insurance navigation programs.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Pacientes no Asegurados
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Cobertura del Seguro
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Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
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Proveedores de Redes de Seguridad
Límite:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Child
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Child, preschool
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Female
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Humans
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Infant
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Año:
2018
Tipo del documento:
Article