Effects of katrina

The wrath of hurricane Katrina is still hitting Louisiana. Apparently doctors are not getting reimbursed by the State for uninsured patients. I wish I had access to the entire article. I linked to the intro.

New Orleans-area general surgeon Todd Belott, MD, recently operated on a man who had waited six days before he went to the emergency department, seeking treatment for appendicitis. The uninsured patient delayed seeking help because Hurricane Katrina destroyed his usual source of care — Charity Hospital.

The following is a L.A. Times article:

Residents are returning to New Orleans faster than healthcare workers. The shortage of doctors — on top of fewer and overcrowded hospitals, lost or destroyed medical records, and delays in everything from getting an appointment to lab test results — has contributed to a sense that medical care here is still not recovering.