Healthcare Markets, the Safety Net and Access to Care Among the Uninsured

Abstract

Objective: To quantify the relationship between access to care among the uninsured and the structure of the local health care market and safety net. Conclusions: Facilitating transport to safety net providers and increasing the number of such providers are likely to improve access to care among the rural uninsured. Our findings for urban areas suggest that the uninsured living in areas where managed care presence is substantial, and especially where managed care competition is limited, could be a target for policies to improve access to care. Policies oriented toward enhancing funding for the safety net and increasing the capacity of safety net providers are likely to be important to ensuring access among the urban uninsured. Data