Health care for Nebraska's medically indigent.

In this study, several alternatives for the provision of health care to the medically indigent of Nebraska were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. These alternatives were: expansion of county medical assistance programs, state-purchased health insurance policies, Medicaid expansion, revenue pool to redistribute charity-care losses, all-payer rate system, mandated employer-purchased health insurance, and charity-care districts. Under four future scenarios, alternatives were ranked on the basis of program costs, a sensitivity analysis, and qualitative criteria. This analysis found that state-purchased health policies would result in lower program costs than either an increase in county assistance programs or employer-mandated health insurance. Medicaid expansion would reach fewer than one-third of the state's medically indigent. A revenue pool and all-payer rate system are the least costly alternatives but depend on the continuing good will of providers.