Barriers to Primary Care Differ by Insurance Status

Privately-insured patients, publicly-insured patients and non-insured patients reported different barriers to access to primary care, according to a study in the American Journal of Medical Quality.

Researchers conducted a voluntary survey of non-urgent emergency department visitors.

Patients who were privately insured and half of Medicare/Medicaid patients mainly reported "infrastructure barriers," such as long wait times in the clinic, wait times for an appointment date, difficulty making appointments due to conventional business hours and difficulty finding a primary care provider due to a lack of new patient openings.

Uninsured patients mainly reported lack of insurance, income and transportation as barriers to primary care.

Researchers suggest infrastructure barriers should be the focus of patient-level interventions to reduce non-urgent ED use.

More Articles on Differences in Care:

3 Observations on the Uninsured and the PPACA
From Manitoba to New Delhi — Glimpses of Emergency Care Around the World
The Importance of Outreach: How Hospitals Can Help the Uninsured Get Coverage

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