Publicly insured and uninsured patients are more likely than other patients to be treated unfairly in health care settings because of their coverage type

Publicly insured and uninsured patients are more likely than other patients to be treated unfairly in health care settings because of their coverage type

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Author(s):
Gonzalez, Dulce, author
Kenney, Genevieve M., author
O'Brien, Claire, (Of Urban Institute), author
McDaniel, Marla, author
Karpman, Michael, author
Contributor(s):
Health Policy Center (Urban Institute), issuing body.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, issuing body.
Urban Institute, issuing body.
Publication:
Washington, DC : Urban Institute, September 2022
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Health Equity -- economics
Health Policy
Medical Assistance -- statistics & numerical data
Medically Uninsured -- statistics & numerical data
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
In an ideal world, the type of health insurance people can or cannot afford should not determine how health care providers and their staff members behave toward patients when they seek care. Yet some patients who are uninsured or have public coverage, such as Medicaid, report experiencing unfair treatment because of their coverage type or ability to pay when seeking health care. Experiences of unfair treatment or judgment in health care settings due to insurance type have been associated with unmet health needs that can result in poorer health care quality, undermine patient health and well-being, and contribute to health inequities by race and ethnicity. Unfair treatment due to health insurance type could have many causes, including bias and discrimination on the part of providers and office staff members. Patients with Medicaid coverage or who are uninsured may encounter providers who have negative perceptions about uninsured and publicly insured people, resulting in providers and their staff shaming, ignoring, or otherwise disrespecting these patients. Providers may also alter their clinical decisions if they perceive, based on the patient’s health insurance type or lack of insurance, that a patient may be unable to pay for services. For the uninsured, provider attitudes could be related to concerns about a patient’s ability to pay for care, the prospect of providing uncompensated care, or a patient’s ability to afford follow-up visits, recommended tests, and prescription drugs.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-DC license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (20 pages))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
9918503477906676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918503477906676