Health Affairs, 22, no. 6 (2003): 143-155 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.22.6.143 © 2003 by Project HOPE	New Online   Senate Health Reform Bill   Rewarding Providers   Public Option Policy Brief   Health Reform & Abortion   Delivery System Reform

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Safety Net

Who Walks Through The Door? The Effect Of The Uninsured On Hospital Use

Hospitals are concerned about the implications of an increase in the number of uninsured people. Using data from the 1999 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), we calculate what percentage of hospital inpatient, emergency department, and outpatient visits are accounted for by uninsured people and predict how those shares would change under three different scenarios. We find that although the burden of the uninsured would remain a severe problem for some hospitals, it would not likely increase much for most of them. This finding reflects the relatively low utilization rates among those most likely to lose coverage: nonelderly, nonpregnant, and nondisabled workers and their families.

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