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Table 3.2b
Percent of persons unable to receive or delayed in receiving needed medical care, dental care, or prescription medications, by main reasons, United States, 2002
Population group Total population (in thousands) Percent experienced difficultye Main reasonsf
Couldn't afford Insurance related Other
Percent Standard error Percent Standard error Percent Standard error
Total   288,182 10.9 48.3 1.2 14.7 0.8 43.9 1.1
Race White, single race 233,530 11.1 47.7 1.4 15.0 0.9 44.3 1.3
Black, single race 35,504 9.8 55.0 2.8 11.3 1.6 38.8 2.8
AI/AN, single race 2,583 13.62 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Asian, single race 11,567 6.2 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
NHOPI, single race DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Multiple races 4,114 17.5 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Ethnicity Hispanic, all races 39,665 8.9 63.0 2.8 10.2 1.4 32.1 2.7
Non-Hispanic, all races 248,517 11.2 46.5 1.4 15.3 0.9 45.4 1.3
Non-Hispanic, White 195,463 11.6 45.5 1.6 15.7 1.0 46.0 1.5
Non-Hispanic, Black 34,875 9.8 54.8 2.9 11.4 1.6 39.1 2.8
Non-Hispanic, other 18,179 9.8 42.1 4.4 16.7 3.0 49.9 4.5
Gender Male 140,802 9.7 46.6 1.6 15.2 1.1 44.3 1.6
Female 147,380 12.0 49.7 1.5 14.3 1.0 43.6 1.4
Age 0-17 72,730 5.7 41.8 3.2 17.6 2.1 46.8 3.0
18-44 111,090 13.1 55.4 1.6 13.1 1.1 37.8 1.4
45-64 67,009 13.8 44.9 1.9 15.7 1.3 47.5 1.7
65 and over 34,921 9.3 34.1 2.8 15.5 2.4 57.8 3.1
Educationa Less than high school 45,282 14.4 63.5 2.1 10.1 1.3 34.0 2.1
High school graduate 69,829 11.9 52.2 1.8 13.7 1.4 40.3 1.7
At least some college 97,855 12.5 40.0 1.7 16.8 1.2 50.5 1.6
Employment statusb Employed 143,280 12.6 50.3 1.5 14.2 0.9 42.0 1.3
Not employed 35,665 16.5 54.8 2.3 13.8 1.4 40.4 2.2
Health insurance, ages 0-64 Any private 183,519 9.4 38.4 1.7 17.9 1.0 51.1 1.5
Public only 34,249 13.6 48.6 2.5 18.6 2.0 41.6 2.6
Uninsured 33,061 18.0 84.6 1.8 DSU DSU 17.4 1.9
Health insurance, age 65 and over Medicare only 10,202 11.4 41.4 4.5 14.6 3.8 53.1 4.8
Medicare and private 20,648 7.7 28.5 3.5 11.6 2.9 64.8 4.0
Medicare and other public 3,788 11.8 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Family incomec Negative/poor 35,618 16.4 63.2 2.1 12.2 1.6 32.3 2.0
Near poor/low 52,639 14.0 64.4 2.1 10.8 1.3 31.7 2.1
Middle 91,063 10.2 51.6 2.3 15.3 1.3 41.0 2.2
High 108,862 8.2 22.3 1.6 18.9 1.4 64.3 1.8
Residence locationd Metropolitan-large 157,991 10.7 44.9 1.7 15.9 1.1 46.6 1.6
Metropolitan-small 83,641 11.4 52.3 2.3 13.9 1.3 39.2 2.1
Micropolitan 31,057 10.8 51.3 4.0 12.3 2.3 45.8 3.2
Noncore-adjacent 10,568 10.6 54.5 5.7 14.6 3.1 38.7 4.5
Noncore-not adjacent 4,925 9.9 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Perceived health status Excellent/very good/good 255,683 9.3 47.3 1.5 14.5 0.9 44.4 1.4
Fair/poor 30,511 24.4 51.8 2.1 15.5 1.4 42.3 2.1

a Includes persons age 18 and over. Less than high school refers to fewer than 12 years of education; high school graduate, 12 years of education; and at least some college, more than 12 years of education.

b Employment status for persons ages 18-64 only.

c Negative/poor refers to household incomes below the Federal poverty line; near poor/low, over the poverty line to just below 200 percent of the poverty line; middle, 200 percent to just below 400 percent of the poverty line; and high, 400 percent of the poverty line and over.

d For more information, see the MEPS entry in Appendix A, Data Sources.

e Denominator includes persons eligible to access care. Numerator includes persons unable or delayed in receiving needed care.

f Denominator is persons who experienced difficulty. Responses unrelated to inability to afford care or insurance were collapsed into the "Other" category. For a full list of responses, see the documentation for the MEPS public use file.

DSU - Data do not meet the criteria for statistical reliability, data quality, or confidentiality.

Key: AI/AN: American Indian or Alaska Native; NHOPI: Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

 

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