Uninsured patients routinely given poorer care than those insured, Washington Post reports
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
October 15, 2008
Although many doctors don't like to admit it or feel badly about doing so, many treat uninsured patients differently than they do insured patients, reports the Washington Post. A 2006 study of primary care physicians in the Washington D.C. area shows that in one in four instances, physicians changed their clinical management based on a patient's insurance status. Some doctors admitted to spending less time with uninsured patients, prescribing generic medications, or scheduling their appointments later in the day, says the article.
Additionally, some healthcare facilities have been said to favor the insured by relocating or opening in a wealthier area, versus a poorer area where patients are more likely to be uninsured.
To read the article, click here.
