Recently, a public Community Family Health Center (CFHC) in Puerto Rico suffered administrative changes as a result of the Puerto Rico Health Care Reform. Formerly, this site was part of the Northeastern Health Region of the Puerto Rico Health Department. Now, it’s under the Government Health Reform Act. Puerto Rico’s Health Care Reform was introduced in the Metro-North region on June 16, 1998. A complete transformation in medically indigent population-based health care has taken place. The government changed its role from direct provider of services to financier of health insurance, and issued a managed care health plan, where the families can choose among public and private health providers. Previously, CFHC was the sole provider of health care for the area’s medically indigent. In order to create a patient's profile, a computerized database was developed. The analysis of data suggests that after the PRHCR there has been an increase in the proportion of elderly patients, in the number of visits per patient, and in the proportion of patients with chronic conditions that have been attended in the Center. Implications of these findings for the delivery of services will be addressed in the presentation. This project was funded by RCMI RCRII/NIH grant number P20RR11108.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation the participants should be able to discuss the impact of the Puerto Rico Health Care Reform on the delivery of services
Keywords: Managed Care, Health Reform
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.