Increasing access to health care: examination of hospital community benefits and free care programs.

The present study explored hospital community benefits and free care programs at seven hospitals in Nassau and Suffolk counties in Long Island, NewYork. There were two components to this project: (1) assessment of information regarding the availability of free care and (2) an analysis of the community benefits information filed with state regulatory offices. Results show that not one of the seven hospitals consistently informed surveyors that free care was available to low-income, uninsured people.

Access to health care for the uninsured on Long Island: a case study.

Sixteen percent of people living on Long Island have no health insurance. They do not receive health insurance at their place of employment and are too poor to pay for it on their own. Most are too young to qualify for Medicare and fall between the cracks of the Medicaid system.