Ongoing coverage for ongoing care: access, utilization, and out-of-pocket spending among uninsured working-aged adults with chronic health care needs.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We sought to determine how part-year and full-year gaps in health insurance coverage affected working-aged persons with chronic health care needs.

Methods

We conducted multivariate analyses of the 2002-2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to compare access, utilization, and out-of-pocket spending burden among key groups of persons with chronic conditions and disabilities. The results are generalizable to the US community-dwelling population aged 18 to 64 years.

Results

Among 92 million adults with chronic conditions, 21% experienced at least 1 month uninsured during the average year (2002-2004). Among the 25 million persons reporting both chronic conditions and disabilities, 23% were uninsured during the average year. These gaps in coverage were associated

SUBMITTER: Gulley SP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3020213 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature