Understanding the uninsured dilemma. A necessity for managed care survival

As we approach 2000, health care cost, quality and access continue to be highly debated issues within managed care and the health care delivery system. Of these, perhaps there is no single issue more contested among consumers than the average cost of health care. Factors affecting the cost of health care are many. However, the uninsured population is one of the most visible and difficult to predict. Leaders in managed care have extensively studied this problem for several years; however, there continues to be no consensus on the best way to capture the nearly 42 million uninsured, reprogram scarce health care resources or provide access into the health care delivery system for everyone while maintaining existing quality, cost containment measures and administration. This paper outlines the scope and impact of the uninsured in managed care and profiles initiatives in controlling the population.