Economic Analysis of Community Health Centers

摘要

This study evaluates the economic efficiency of Community Health Centers (CHCs) in delivering ambulatory care and also examines CHCs effect on health status as measured by changes in infant mortality rates. The internal efficiency of CHCs is analyzed by using production functions to examine the extent to which centers minimize costs. Regression analysis is used to analyze how the presence of a CHC in a county affects future infant mortality. Findings are that input decisions by CHCs do reflect some departures from cost-minimizing behavior. Ideally CHCs might employ more physician aides (nurses and physician assistants) relative to primary care physicians. When compared with similar studies of input selection by private physicians, CHCs are no less efficient than private physicians. CHCs have a larger impact on black infant mortality rates than on the rates for white infants. The reductions in black infant death rates attributed to CHCs made up about 12 percent of the overall decline in black infant mortality rates.