Barriers to serving the vulnerable: Thoughts of a former public official

Authors

Christine Ferguson, George Washington University

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

9-2007

Journal

Health Affairs

Volume

Volume 26, Issue 5

Inclusive Pages

1358-1365

Keywords

Attitude of Health Personnel; Health Behavior; Health Services Accessibility; Resource Allocation; Risk Taking; Vulnerable Populations--psychology; Medicaid & SCHIP

Abstract

In an environment of limited resources, the question of who is deserving and undeserving of assistance becomes critical. Policymakers’ biases about whether a health condition is self-inflicted, as well as their perceptions about whether treatments are truly effective, play a major role—often unstated—in the allocation of resources.

APA Citation

Ferguson, C.C. (2007). Barriers to serving the vulnerable. Health Affairs, 26(5), 1358-1365.

Peer Reviewed

1

Open Access

1