Comparing the financial condition of Texas hospitals using a novel definition for the safety net.

Brett D. Stauffer, Ruben Amarasingham, Sue Pickens, Ron J. Anderson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Lack of health insurance is more prevalent in the state of Texas than in the rest of the country. To get necessary medical care, uninsured Texans must rely on safety net hospitals. Economic turmoil and fluctuating public support routinely threaten the financial stability of these hospitals. Safety net hospitals must be identified to craft public policy solutions that ensure their viability. In this paper, we propose a new method to identify these hospitals by incorporating criteria established previously by economists with additional measures of community value. Our data indicate that safety net hospitals continue to face financial challenges. Texas will need to move forward along several policy fronts to preserve this vital system of care.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)55-62
Number of pages8
JournalTexas medicine
Volume104
Issue number8
StatePublished - Aug 2008

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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