Improving access through health insurance coverage and safety net expansion: a review of the literature.

Proposals to address the needs of uninsured Californians take one of two broadly different emphases: assuring that the uninsured have access to health services by expanding community health centers and clinics; or by extending health insurance coverage to those without it. This policy brief examines literature on the effect of expanding access to safety net health services versus extending health insurance coverage to those who are currently uninsured. Based on this examination of the literature and analysis of the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2005), we conclude that both approaches are necessary to address access problems faced by the uninsured and underserved.