Med News Today

Fewer Doctors Offering Charity Care

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A shrinking portion of U.S. doctors are providing free or reduced cost medical care to a rising number of patients who cannot afford treatment, leaving a smaller safety net for the uninsured, a survey released on Thursday said.

About 68 percent of physicians provided charity care between 2004 and 2005, compared with 76 percent between 1996 and 1997, the study released by the Center for Studying Health System Change, a research group, said.

Factors driving the drop include heightened financial pressures on doctors from private and public insurers, and broad trends in the way doctors practice, the study suggested.

"Physicians are feeling really squeezed financially these days and that is having a direct impact on what they feel they can afford to do," said Peter Cunningham, a senior researcher at the research group.

Maybe it's time to provide a little "charity" to the doctors.

posted by nattietodd @ 2:29 AM