THE UNINSURED: CAPH Releases Conference Report
The California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems released a report Tuesday that explores the issue of health care for the state's seven million uninsured residents. Titled "The Uninsured Debate: Health Insurance vs. Health Care Access," the report focuses on the proceedings from last year's annual CAPH policy conference, which featured presentations by California HealthCare Foundation President Mark Smith and former HCFA Director Bruce Vladeck (CAPH release, 6/27). During the conference, panelists discussed the topic "What Matters Most: Confronting Health Care Needs of the 21st Century," drawing several conclusions. They contended that qualifying for health insurance does not necessarily equate with health care access, noting that many eligible individuals do not receive services. In addition, the panel challenged the perceived inferiority of the public health care system, citing many recent improvements in state and local facilities. Still Vladeck cautioned, "However quickly we are bringing [in] new health insurance coverage through CHIP or through state initiatives, the growth in the number of the uninsured continues to outpace the increments in publicly financed insurance programs" (CAPH report, 6/27). The full text of the report, supported by a grant from California HealthCare Foundation, is available online at www.caph.org.
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