A sadly growing market

The US Census announced today (pg 26-28 of pdf) the latest numbers on income, poverty and health insurance for 2006.  For the 6th year in a row, the number of uninsured Americans rose.  For 2006, the number was 15.8% of all Americans or 47 million were uninsured.

While this is a somber fact, I would like to look at it another way:  a growing market.  Whoever figures out how to provide inexpensive health care to this population has a steadily growing market on their hands.  It could be good business.  Again, I refer you to retail health clinics.

ERIC

Comments

[Jim Glinn]

Curious what you all think about the provision of PT services in the retail clinic setting? Would it be a good thing, a bad thing? Is it possible and in what sort of space with what type/amounts of equipment?

[Andrew Bennett]

Eric, great view! I believe this is exactly where our profession can thrive...given that "we" can all make the transition to EBP and best practice principals.

Jim, my personal opinion that in true direct access (i.e. no restrictions by either states or payors) that this "redi-clinic" model can work for some. If you have an acute injury or acute flare of a longstanding condition and you want a predictable treatment and response, seems like the "redi-clinic" is the place. Not many tools req'd. (a laptop and wireless printer with a treatment table should suffice). Having said that, I believe it will be a while before #1: our profession as a whole can think/act this way; and #2: I bet it will be a while before the public equates a service with Wal-mart access with Nordstrom's quality.

ab

[Sean]

I would like to raise a point about the "uninsured" and "underinsured" people who come through our doors.
Many of them have the money and can afford insurance, they choose not to pay because they think they can negotiate a favorable rate for themselves. Now I am in a very diverse, higher income community, but I actually see this more often each year.
Another person I see in the clinic is the underinsured person who purchased the high deductible plan. This person wants to game the system by trying to negotiate not paying all, or some of his/her deductible. I wonder how many of these people make up the growing % of uninsured.
Is a breakdown by income level included in a broader analysis of the above graph?

[Eugene "Bo" Babenko]

There are now a few less uninsured people in America.

Check out this New York Times Article while it is still available: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/14/us/14health.html?ex=1347508800&en=bde7868192b7971a&ei=5124&partner=facebook&exprod=facebook

San Francisco to Offer Care for Uninsured Adults

This is part of the cost breakdown from the article:
"Those from families with incomes below the federal poverty line pay nothing. Those who earn more pay quarterly fees that range from $60 to $675, which is the rate for those with incomes above 500 percent of the poverty level ($51,050 for a single; $103,250 for a family of four). That is where the subsidy ends. The co-payments range from $10 to $20 for a clinic visit and from $200 to $350 for an inpatient stay."