کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
---|---|---|---|---|
2666216 | 1140776 | 2012 | 11 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |

IntroductionAlthough recent health care reforms will expand insurance coverage for U.S. children, disparities regarding access to pediatric care persist, even among the insured. We investigated the separate and combined effects of having health insurance and a usual source of care (USC) on children’s receipt of health care services.MethodsWe conducted secondary analysis of the nationally representative 2002-2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data from children (≤ 18 years of age) who had at least one health care visit and needed any additional care, tests, or treatment in the preceding year (n = 20,817).ResultsApproximately 88.1% of the study population had both a USC and insurance; 1.1% had neither one; 7.6% had a USC only, and 3.2% had insurance only. Children with both insurance and a USC had the fewest unmet needs. Among insured children, those with no USC had higher rates of unmet needs than did those with a USC.DiscussionExpansions in health insurance are essential; however, it is also important for every child to have a USC. New models of practice could help to concurrently achieve these goals.
Journal: Journal of Pediatric Health Care - Volume 26, Issue 5, September–October 2012, Pages e25–e35