Getting Health Care and Talking to Your Doctor

Minority Women's Health > African Americans > Health Topics > Getting Health Care and Talking to Your Doctor

Related Information: How to talk to your doctor or nurse

Many women can't get the right health services, medicines, and supplies when they need them. Some reasons for this include:

• not having health insurance and/or being able to afford it
• not having a way to get to a doctor
• having physical limitations that make it hard to get to a doctor
• lack of child care
• not being able to take time away from work

African American women are less likely than white women to get the health care they need. If they do get health care, they are more likely to get it later. Not having health insurance may be one reason for this. Compared with white women, African American women are less likely to have health insurance and have less access to care.

Many African American women have jobs that do not offer benefits. Even if benefits are offered, the employee part of the cost may be too high. Because of lower insurance coverage and more use of Medicaid, African American women are more likely to get their care at a clinic or health center instead of a doctor's office. Experts are looking into other reasons why there are differences in care.

Publications

1.   BPHC Service Delivery Sites: Providing Primary Care to Underserved Populations - This internet site allows users to search a database of health centers offering low-cost health services to underserved populations. Users can search by location and type of service needed.

   http://www.ask.hrsa.gov/pc/

2.   Improving Health Care Quality: A Guide for Patients and Families - This research-based guide provides information that consumers need when making decisions about health plans, doctors, treatments, hospitals, and long-term care.

   http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/qntlite/

3.   Insure Kids Now! - Insure Kids Now! is a national campaign that links the nation's 10 million uninsured children, from birth to age 18, to free and low-cost health insurance.

   http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/

4.   Questions and Answers About Health Insurance: A Consumer Guide - This guide describes different kinds of health insurance plans and answers common questions. There is a glossary of health insurance terms as well as resources for more information.

   http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/insuranceqa/

5.   Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People - This brochure is a guide to helping elderly individuals communicate easily and effectively with their physician about their health.

   http://www.niapublications.org/pubs/talking/index.asp

Organizations

1.   Administration for Children and Families
2.   Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Clearinghouse, AHRQ, OPHS, HHS
3.   CDC's WISEWOMAN™ - Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation
4.   Citizens' Health Care Working Group
5.   Health Resources Services Administration Information Center
6.   National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, NCCDPHP, CDC
7.   Office of Minority Health Resource Center (OMHRC), OMH, OPHS, OS, HHS
8.   Office on Women's Health, HHS
9. American Hospital Association

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007