TY - JOUR
T1 - Access to medical care, dental care, and prescription drugs
T2 - The roles of race/ethnicity, health insurance, and income
AU - Shi, Leiyu
AU - Lebrun, Lydie A.
AU - Tsai, Jenna
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - BACKGROUND: After accounting for socioeconomic factors and other demographic characteristics, racial/ethnic disparities in access to care were examined. METHODS: Using nationally representative data on 34,403 individuals from the 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), multiple logistic regression analyses for five outcome measures were conducted: self-reports of being unable to get medical care, dental care, or prescriptions in the past year; and having no doctor or dentist visits in the past year. The main independent variables were race/ethnicity, income, and insurance status. RESULTS: Blacks and Hispanics were less likely to report difficulties in accessing medical care, dental care, and prescriptions as compared to whites. These disparities occurred primarily among the uninsured and Medicaid insured. More objective measures of utilization (ie, no doctor visit or dental visit during the past year) showed that minorities experienced less access than whites. CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic disparities in access to care persist, and cannot be entirely explained by socioeconomic differences. In addition, the nature of these disparities depends on the socioeconomic position of racial/ethnic groups as well as the access measure used.
AB - BACKGROUND: After accounting for socioeconomic factors and other demographic characteristics, racial/ethnic disparities in access to care were examined. METHODS: Using nationally representative data on 34,403 individuals from the 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), multiple logistic regression analyses for five outcome measures were conducted: self-reports of being unable to get medical care, dental care, or prescriptions in the past year; and having no doctor or dentist visits in the past year. The main independent variables were race/ethnicity, income, and insurance status. RESULTS: Blacks and Hispanics were less likely to report difficulties in accessing medical care, dental care, and prescriptions as compared to whites. These disparities occurred primarily among the uninsured and Medicaid insured. More objective measures of utilization (ie, no doctor visit or dental visit during the past year) showed that minorities experienced less access than whites. CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic disparities in access to care persist, and cannot be entirely explained by socioeconomic differences. In addition, the nature of these disparities depends on the socioeconomic position of racial/ethnic groups as well as the access measure used.
KW - Access
KW - Income
KW - Insurance
KW - Race/ethnicity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953288351&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77953288351&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/SMJ.0b013e3181d9c2d8
DO - 10.1097/SMJ.0b013e3181d9c2d8
M3 - Article
C2 - 20710132
AN - SCOPUS:77953288351
SN - 0038-4348
VL - 103
SP - 509
EP - 516
JO - Southern medical journal
JF - Southern medical journal
IS - 6
ER -