 |
|
Health Care System Reform and Public HealthProtecting the Safety Net
Charles M. Helms, MD, PhD;
Peter C. Damiano, DDS, MPH
Arch Fam Med. 1995;4(1):12-13.
|
|
| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
|
|
|
THE NATIONAL debate on health care system reform has been driven largely by three issues: cost, access to care, and quality. While all three issues have been given considerable attention by policymakers, improving access by guaranteeing "every American private health insurance that can never be taken away" is the only issue President Clinton has said is nonnegotiable (New York Times. January 26, 1994; C5:A9). The challenge as we reform the health care system is to create the right incentives to encourage the private and public sectors to cooperate and reach out to traditionally underserved populations, thereby increasing access and improving their health.
ACCESS TO CARE
Access to care is much more than simply providing insurance coverage. Access to care is a complex, multidimensional construct that describes the fit between the patient and the health care system.1 It includes characteristics of the delivery system and the population at risk as well
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
Author Affiliations
University of Iowa Iowa City
|
