HEALTH DISPARITIES BLOG

February 19, 2009

links for 2009-02-19

• Massachusetts doctors say single-payer or bust
  Massachusetts members of the Physicians for a National Health Program released a report today faulting the state's experiment with health reform for failing to achieve universal coverage, being too expensive and draining funds away from safety-net providers.
• MetroHealth to adjust fees to steer people away from ER visits and expand discounted care
  MetroHealth Medical Center plans to introduce a new point-of service fee next month, changing the way it charges uninsured patients for the first time in nearly two decades.
• In California, Pricey Health Insurance Plans Get Pricier
  Blue Shield’s monthly premium for a family of four in Los Angeles with a 40-year-old primary policyholder is $1,461. That’s $401 a month, or $4,812 a year, above the cap. Anthem’s 2009 monthly premium for the same family was $1,356 — $296 a month, or $3,552 a year, above the cap.
• Missouri's 2005 Medicaid Cuts: How Did They Affect Enrollees And Providers?
  Using a range of data sources, we show that the cutbacks were followed by a major increase in the numbers of uninsured people, greater uncompensated care burden on hospitals, and revenue shortfalls that forced community health centers to obtain larger state grants and charge patients more.