Felt-Lisk Suzanne, McHugh Megan, Howell Embry
Mathematica Policy Research, Washington, DC, USA.
Health Aff (Millwood). 2002 Sep-Oct;21(5):277-83. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.21.5.277.
The safety-net providers that serve the nation's thirty-nine million uninsured residents are vulnerable organizations even in good economic times, yet efforts to monitor their capacity have been limited at best. This study of the safety-net in five cities found that capacity was strained for specialty services and that access to pharmaceuticals was difficult, while primary care capacity was more often adequate to serve those who presented themselves for care. Also, free clinics grew during the 1990s, while many other safety-net providers focused on improving their efficiency and collecting more fees from patients.
为美国3900万未参保居民提供服务的安全网医疗机构，即便在经济形势良好时也是脆弱的组织，然而对其服务能力的监测工作充其量也只是有限的。这项针对五个城市安全网的研究发现，专科服务能力紧张，药品获取困难，而初级医疗服务能力通常足以满足前来就诊者的需求。此外，免费诊所数量在20世纪90年代有所增加，而许多其他安全网医疗机构则专注于提高效率并向患者收取更多费用。
