California's safety-net clinics: a primer
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Contributor(s):
- Saviano, Elizabeth C. California HealthCare Foundation.
- Publication:
- Oakland, Calif. : California HealthCare Foundation, c2009
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Ambulatory Care Facilities -- organization & administration Community Health Centers -- organization & administration Health Services Accessibility -- economics Health Services Accessibility -- organization & administration Medically Uninsured Uncompensated Care -- economics Catchment Area (Health) Demography Hospitals, Public -- organization & administration Licensure Medically Underserved Area Outpatient Clinics, Hospital -- organization & administration Reimbursement Mechanisms Humans California
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- California's health care "safety net" is composed of an array of providers committed to delivering a broad range of health care services to medically underserved and uninsured populations regardless of patients' ability to pay. The health care safety net is subject to varied definitions because it lacks a formal structure and its components have diverse licensing, funding, missions, and relationships. Generally, though, the safety net includes public hospitals and health systems, health care districts, community health centers and clinics, and for-profit and nonprofit health care organizations that provide free or discounted care. This report focuses on the outpatient clinic component of the safety net, which is essential to delivering both primary and specialty care to millions of low-income Californians. These safety-net clinics, whose categories sometimes overlap, include licensed primary care clinics, clinics operated by governmental entities such as counties and cities, and clinics operated by federally recognized Indian tribes or tribal organizations. The scope of services offered by a safety-net clinic depends in large part on its funding mandates and community need. Understanding the complex functions, structures, and operational environments of these clinics is critical to appreciating the overall nature and extent of California's health care safety net. This report, which updates a report published by the California HealthCare Foundation in November 2005, serves as a primer on California's safety-net clinics. It includes discussion and analysis of: (1) The character of safety-net clinics; (2) Requirements for state licensure; (3) The demographics of those served by safety-net clinics; (4) The types of services provided; (5) Key reimbursement and funding mechanisms; (6) The various categories of safety-net clinics; and (7) Some of the challenges faced by these clinics in the current operational environment.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101514667 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101514667