National Healthcare Quality Report, 2006: Table 3.2B

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Table 3.2B_d
Percent of families unable to receive or delayed in receiving needed prescription medications, by main reasons, United States, 2002
				Main reasons^h
			Percent experienced difficulty^g	Couldn't afford		Insurance related		Other
Population group^a		Total families ^f (in thousands)	Percent experienced difficulty^g	Percent	Standard error	Percent	Standard error	Percent	Standard error
Total		121,016	5.4	52.1	2.1	14.8	1.5	33.1	2.1
Race	White only	99,578	5.4	50.7	2.3	15.3	1.7	34.0	2.3
	Black only	14,322	5.4	68.3	5.6	10.5	2.8	21.2	5.2
	AI/AN only	996	9.8	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
	Asian only	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
	NHOPI only	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
	Multiple races	1,407	14.8	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
Ethnicity	Hispanic, all races	13,103	4.1	68.8	6.3	DSU	DSU	24.4	6.3
	Non-Hispanic, all races	107,912	5.6	50.6	2.3	15.5	1.6	33.9	2.3
	Non-Hispanic, White	87,014	5.6	48.9	2.5	16.2	1.8	34.9	2.5
	Non-Hispanic, Black	14,115	5.4	67.7	5.7	10.7	2.8	21.6	5.3
	Non-Hispanic, other	6,783	6.1	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
Gender	Male	61,471	4.1	41.6	3.3	15.5	2.4	43.0	3.8
Gender	Female	59,545	6.8	58.7	2.7	14.3	2.0	27.0	2.3
Age	18-44	57,118	5.2	60.5	3.3	12.5	2.5	27.0	2.9
	45-64	40,088	6.1	48.2	3.7	16.6	2.8	35.2	3.6
	65 and over	23,711	4.9	38.7	4.9	16.7	3.6	44.6	5.2
Education^b	Less than high school	24,031	7.3	65.3	3.6	10.3	2.4	24.5	3.3
	High school graduate	38,750	5.3	56.1	4.0	11.1	2.6	32.8	3.5
	At least some college	57,577	4.8	40.7	3.3	20.5	2.7	38.8	3.7
Employment status^c	Employed	79,496	4.9	53.6	3.1	15.3	2.0	31.1	2.9
Employment status^c	Not employed	17,706	8.6	58.3	4.6	11.9	2.7	29.8	4.6
Health insurance, age 18-64	Any private	73,274	4.4	41.4	3.2	20.8	2.5	37.8	3.5
	Public only	9,006	11.9	56.2	5.6	DSU	DSU	34.5	5.3
	Uninsured	15,025	7.2	93.9	2.4	0.0	0.0	DSU	DSU
Health insurance, age 65 and over	Medicare only	6,865	5.7	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
	Medicare and private	13,874	4.1	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
	Medicare and other public	2,772	7.1	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
Family income^d	Negative/poor	16,604	10.1	67.9	4.0	5.3	1.3	26.8	3.9
	Near poor/low	23,126	7.7	64.7	4.2	11.8	2.7	23.5	4.0
	Middle	36,898	4.6	51.3	4.2	17.1	2.8	31.6	4.2
	High	44,389	3.2	18.5	3.2	26.9	4.2	54.6	4.8
Residence location^e	Metropolitan-large	65,160	5.1	46.6	3.1	15.8	2.0	37.6	3.0
	Metropolitan-small	35,876	5.6	58.4	3.7	13.7	3.1	27.9	3.9
	Micropolitan	13,226	5.9	59.0	5.7	11.4	2.9	29.6	4.8
	Noncore	6,753	6.0	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
Perceived health status	Excellent/very good/good	102,754	4.2	48.4	2.6	15.5	2.0	36.2	2.5
Perceived health status	Fair/poor	18,104	12.4	59.4	3.4	13.4	2.4	27.2	3.1

^a Values are for reference person in the family.

^b 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.

^c Employment status for persons age 18-64 only.

^d 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.

^e See the MEPS entry in the Data Sources section of the Measure Specifications Appendix for more information.

^f Total families with a reference person, excluding families with a reference person under age 18 or not eligible to access the care.

^g Denominator is total families, excluding missing values. Numerator is families unable or delayed in receiving needed care.

^h Denominator is families experienced difficulties. 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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