July 7, 2011

The Benefits of Health Insurance for the Poor

When poor people are given medical insurance, they not only find regular doctors and see doctors more often but they also feel better, are less depressed and are better able to maintain financial stability, according to a new, large-scale study that provides the first rigorously controlled assessment of the impact of Medicaid. Those who do not have health insurance tend to be different in many ways from people who have it, says Alan Garber, MD head of Stanford Health Policy.

• » New York Times: First Study of its Kind Shows Benefit of Providing Medical Insurance to Poor