Report to the General Assembly (Published)

Document Title

Study of the Indigent/Uninsured

Author

Joint Commission on Health Care

Enabling Authority

SJR 298 (1997)

Executive Summary

Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 298 of the 1997 Session of the General
Assembly directs the Joint Commission on Health Care, in cooperation
with the Board of Health, the Department of Health, the Board of Medical
Assistance Services, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, the
Commonwealth's academic health centers, and various governmental
entities to study the provisions of health care for the indigent and
uninsured. The resolution also directs the Joint Commission to confer with
local governments, the Virginia Health Care Foundation, the Virginia
Indigent Health Care Trust Fund Technical Advisory Panel, the Virginia
Primary Care Association, and other appropriate public and private
entities regarding various issues related to the provision of health care for
the indigent and uninsured.

Specifically, SJR 298 directs the Joint Commission to:

(i) analyze the recently completed survey on the insurance status
of Virginians;
(ii) evaluate the underlying reasons for persons being uninsured;
(iii) assess the impact of not-for-profit to for-profit hospital
conversions may be having on the indigent and uninsured;
(iv) analyze the impact that the provision of care for these
populations has on individual providers and hospitals,
particularly the academic health centers;
(v) assess the role that projects supported by the Virginia Health
Care Foundation and the Virginia Indigent Health Care Trust
Fund play in meeting the needs of the uninsured;
(vi) evaluate the appropriateness of expanding Medicaid coverage
to certain segments of the uninsured population;
(vii) analyze the accessibility to child health preventive services;
(viii) analyze the cause, prevalence and impact of the inability of
indigents to purchase prescribed medications; and
(ix) analyze whether subsidies to purchase private health
insurance should be implemented.