Access to health care. Part 2: Working-age adults

Abstract

Objectives: This report presents data on access to health care for U.S. working-age adults, 18-64 years old. Access indicators are examined by selected sociodemographic characteristics including sex, age, race and/or ethnicity, place of residence, employment status, income, health status, and health insurance status.

Methods: Data are from the 1993 Access to Care and 1993 Health Insurance Surveys of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a continuing household survey of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States. The sample contained 61,287 persons in 24,071 households.

Results: In 1993, approximately 3 out of 4 working-age adults had a regular source of medical care. Nine out of 10 adults with health insurance had a regular source of care compared with 6 out of 10 adults without health insurance. For adults with a regular source of care, 86 percent received care in a private doctor's office, 9 percent in a clinic, and 2 percent in a hospital emergency room. The two main reasons given for not having a regular source of care were "do not need a doctor" (49 percent), and "no insurance can't afford it" (22 percent). Persons in the highest income group were more likely to report no need for a doctor (59 percent) than persons in the lowest income group (35 percent). About 40 percent of uninsured persons and 16 percent of insured persons reported an unmet medical need.

Conclusions: Health insurance plays a key role in the access to medical care services. Persons who are uninsured or have low incomes are at the greatest risk of having unmet medical needs.