Pediatric private practice after Hurricane Katrina: proposal for recovery

Abstract

The health care system of the US Gulf Coast was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Physicians in the region have faced enormous financial and psychological challenges. Pediatricians have been particularly affected, because of the large number of children covered by Medicaid, with its associated low payments, and the failure of children and families to return to affected areas. Federal relief efforts to date have largely benefited nonprofit organizations, community health centers, and hospitals. Private physicians have received little to no governmental assistance, despite their vital role in the health care system. This article explores the many factors threatening the survival of pediatric private practice in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and offers some practical governmental solutions. The proposals outlined here aim to provide stability and recovery to health care in the region by enabling residents to obtain care from local preexisting providers on the Gulf Coast and ensuring that physicians are paid adequately for their services. These ideas have applicability beyond Hurricane Katrina and should encourage thought regarding health care delivery after future regional disasters.