Health Services Financing and Utilization
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PLACE OF PHYSICIAN CONTACT
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In 2004, a doctor’s office or HMO was
the usual place of sick care (not including routine or preventive
care) for nearly 79 percent of children in the United States,
a rate that varies by age and family income. Children with
family incomes above the poverty level were more likely
to visit a doctor’s office or HMO for sick care than children
with family incomes below the Federal poverty level. While
this discrepancy was evident within all age groups, it was
most pronounced among children aged 5 to 12 years. Within
this age group, 82.0 percent of children with family incomes
above the poverty level went to a doctor’s office or HMO
compared to 59.5 percent of children in poverty. Moreover,
poor children were more likely to visit a clinic or health
center for sick care (38.3 percent versus 16.4 percent of
5- to 12-year-olds). Only a small proportion of children
used a hospital emergency room or outpatient department
as a source of sick care, but children in all age groups
with family incomes below the poverty level were more likely
to do so than children with higher family incomes.
Younger children were more likely than
older children to visit clinics or health centers, hospital
emergency rooms, and hospital outpatient departments when
sick. Use of a doctor’s office or HMO as a source of sick
care increased with age.
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Bar Charts: Place of Physician Contact, by Age
and Poverty Level: 2004
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