Lack of compensation can tempt doctors to tailor their care to a patient's coverage

It's not uncommon for patients with no insurance or poor insurance to receive different treatment: A 2006 study of 25 primary care private practices in the Washington, DC, area showed that in nearly one in four encounters, physicians reported adjusting their clinical management based on a patient's insurance status. Nearly 90% of physicians admitted to making such adjustments. For patients with no insurance, alterations occurred 43% of the time; and for the privately insured, just 19%.