Skip to main content
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1999 Jun;89(6):910–912. doi: 10.2105/ajph.89.6.910

Access to care for the uninsured: is access to a physician enough?

A G Mainous 3rd 1, W J Hueston 1, M M Love 1, C H Griffith 3rd 1
PMCID: PMC1508656  PMID: 10358685

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined a private-sector, statewide program (Kentucky Physicians Care) of care for uninsured indigent persons regarding provision of preventive services. METHODS: A survey was conducted of a stratified random sample of 2509 Kentucky adults (811 with private insurance, 849 Medicaid recipients, 849 Kentucky Physicians Care recipients). RESULTS: The Kentucky Physicians Care group had significantly lower rates of receipt of preventive services. Of the individuals in this group, 52% cited cost as the primary reason for not receiving mammography, and 38% had not filled prescribed medicines in the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: Providing free access to physicians fills important needs but is not sufficient for many uninsured patients to receive necessary preventive services.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Berk M. L., Schur C. L., Cantor J. C. Ability to obtain health care: recent estimates from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Access to Care Survey. Health Aff (Millwood) 1995 Fall;14(3):139–146. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.14.3.139. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bindman A. B., Grumbach K., Osmond D., Komaromy M., Vranizan K., Lurie N., Billings J., Stewart A. Preventable hospitalizations and access to health care. JAMA. 1995 Jul 26;274(4):305–311. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bindman A. B., Grumbach K., Osmond D., Vranizan K., Stewart A. L. Primary care and receipt of preventive services. J Gen Intern Med. 1996 May;11(5):269–276. doi: 10.1007/BF02598266. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Carrasquillo O., Himmelstein D. U., Woolhandler S., Bor D. H. Going bare: trends in health insurance coverage, 1989 through 1996. Am J Public Health. 1999 Jan;89(1):36–42. doi: 10.2105/ajph.89.1.36. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Donelan K., Blendon R. J., Hill C. A., Hoffman C., Rowland D., Frankel M., Altman D. Whatever happened to the health insurance crisis in the United States? Voices from a national survey. JAMA. 1996 Oct 23;276(16):1346–1350. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Schoen C., Lyons B., Rowland D., Davis K., Puleo E. Insurance matters for low-income adults: results from a five-state survey. Health Aff (Millwood) 1997 Sep-Oct;16(5):163–171. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.16.5.163. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ware J., Jr, Kosinski M., Keller S. D. A 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey: construction of scales and preliminary tests of reliability and validity. Med Care. 1996 Mar;34(3):220–233. doi: 10.1097/00005650-199603000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES