For the study, researchers assessed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare how three indicators of healthcare access have changed over time: likelihood of having unmet medical needs due to cost, receiving a routine checkup and receiving a dental visit for all nonelderly adults and for the subgroup of uninsured adults. The researchers also sought to compare how insurance status affected access to healthcare.
The researchers found that every state saw declining access to healthcare from 2000 to 2010. For instance, 20 states saw a decrease in all three access measures, 19 states saw a decrease in two access measures and 10 states saw declines in one access measure. Two states — District of Columbia and West Virginia — saw no statistically significant change in any access measures.
The authors also concluded uninsured individuals saw even more deteriorated access than insured individuals. The authors wrote insurance status could widen the gap in access to healthcare, suggesting provisions in the healthcare reform law have potential to improve access to healthcare, particularly for the uninsured.
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