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Table 3.2A_d
Percent of families unable to receive or delayed in receiving needed prescription medications, by main reasons, United States, 2003
        Main reasonsh
      Percent experienced difficulty g Couldn't afford Insurance related Other
Population groupa Total families f (in thousands) Percent Standard error Percent Standard error Percent Standard error
Total 120,827 7.3 55.4 2.0 16.7 1.3 30.1 1.9
Race White only 99,240 7.1 51.4 2.3 18.1 1.6 32.7 2.3
Black only 14,558 8.8 76.5 3.9 9.5 2.4 15.4 2.8
AI/AN only 798.0 16.99 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Asian only 4,444 4.4 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
NHOPI only 372 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Multiple races 1,416 13.5 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Ethnicity Hispanic, all races 13,310 6.3 60.7 5.2 DSU DSU 27.5 4.8
Non-Hispanic, all races 107,518 7.4 54.8 2.1 17.2 1.4 30.4 1.9
Non-Hispanic, White 86,533 7.2 50.1 2.5 18.9 1.7 33.4 2.3
Non-Hispanic, Black 14,253 8.9 77.0 3.9 9.6 2.4 14.7 2.8
Non-Hispanic, other 20,041 6.7 59.3 4.2 13.5 3.3 29.5 3.9
Gender Male 59,947 6.3 52.9 3.3 17.3 2.0 31.1 2.9
Female 60,880 8.4 57.2 2.4 16.3 1.8 29.4 2.3
Age 18-44 57,057 6.7 61.1 3.0 15.2 2.1 25.5 2.8
45-64 40,993 9.2 52.1 3.1 19.1 2.5 31.5 3.0
65 and over 22,778 5.4 47.8 5.5 14.1 3.4 40.2 5.4
Educationb Less than high school 22,409 9.9 73.4 3.1 9.1 1.9 19.1 2.6
High school graduate 37,671 7.7 56.6 3.6 17.0 2.1 28.5 3.3
At least some college 60,207 6.2 43.6 2.7 21.2 2.4 38.0 2.8
Employment statusc Employed 80,749 6.5 53.7 2.8 17.4 1.7 30.0 2.6
Not employed 17,289 13.8 62.9 3.4 16.5 2.8 25.1 3.2
Health insurance, age 18-64 Any private 72,749 5.9 40.9 2.8 23.7 2.3 37.1 2.9
Public only 9,861 15.4 65.6 3.9 17.3 3.4 23.0 3.8
Uninsured 15,439 11.6 86.5 2.7 DSU DSU 12.6 2.6
Health insurance, age 65 and over Medicare only 6,568 5.9 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Medicare and private 13,465 5.0 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Medicare and other public 2,571 6.2 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Family incomed Negative/poor 16,453 11.6 70.8 3.5 11.5 2.1 20.7 3.2
Near poor/low 23,386 9.7 71.4 3.2 10.9 2.3 20.9 3.0
Middle 36,257 6.8 53.3 3.5 13.7 2.2 33.6 3.6
High 44,731 4.9 27.7 3.8 30.6 3.5 43.9 4.0
Residence locatione Metropolitan-large 65,066 6.5 49.9 2.9 17.8 1.9 34.8 2.9
Metropolitan-small 35,826 8.1 58.9 3.5 15.6 2.4 28.0 3.5
Micropolitan 13,203 8.8 57.6 7.1 19.9 3.9 22.8 5.5
Noncore 6,732 8.4 DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU DSU
Perceived health status Excellent/very good/good 103,432 5.7 48.0 2.4 17.8 1.6 35.4 2.4
Fair/poor 17,380 16.7 70.0 2.9 14.6 2.1 19.6 2.6

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 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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