Access to Health Insurance, Barriers to Care, and Service Use among Adults with Disabilities

Sommers, Anna

doi:10.5034/inquiryjrnl_43.4.393

Cited by 39 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(8 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The Report also emphasizes that people with disabilities have less access to health care services and therefore experience unmet health care needs [1]. Data shows that people with disabilities have greater unmet needs and services than their counterparts without disabilities [9]. Similar findings have been reported in a number of countries [10–12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Access to health care and employment status of people with disabilities in South India, the SIDE (South India Disability Evidence) study

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundData shows that people with disability are more disadvantaged in accessing health, education and employment opportunities compared to people without a disability. There is a lack of credible documented evidence on health care access and barriers to access from India. The South India Disability Evidence (SIDE) Study was undertaken to understand the health needs of people with disabilities, and barriers to accessing health services.MethodsThe study was conducted in one district each in two States (Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka) in 2012. Appropriate age and sex-matched people without a disability were recruited to compare with people with disability who were identified through a population-based survey and available government disability records by trained key informants. These people were then examined by a medical team to confirm the diagnosis. Investigators administered questionnaire schedules to people with and without a disability to harness information on employment and health service access, utilization and barriers.ResultsA total of 839 people with disabilities and 1153 age and sex matched people without a disability, aged 18 years or more were included. People with disability had significantly lower employment rates. On univariate analysis, people with disability (18.4%) needed to visit a hospital significantly more often in the preceding year compared to people without a disability (8.8%) (X2- 40.0562; P < =0.001). However adjusted odds ratios did not show a statistically significant difference. Significant differences were also observed with respect to past hospitalization. People with disabilities had 4.6 times higher risk of suffering from diabetes and 5.8 times higher risk of suffering from depression compared to people without a disability and the risk was significantly higher in males compared to females with disability. People with disability faced significantly more barriers to accessing health services compared to people without a disability. Barriers included ignorance regarding availability of services, costs of services and transportation.ConclusionsThis study highlights the challenges that people with disability face in accessing health-care and employment opportunities. The study findings have public health implications and should be used for planning need-based appropriate strategies to improve health care access for people with disabilities.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Access to health care and employment status of people with disabilities in South India, the SIDE (South India Disability Evidence) study

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is due not only to the high volume of health services they receive, but the complexity of their health care needs and the less than optimal health outcomes they often report (Gulley, Rasch, and Chan 2011a; Iezzoni 2011; Kirschner et al 2009). While use of preventive care and other types of services by adults with disabilities have been studied in some depth (Henry et al 2011; Iezzoni, Frakt, and Pizer 2011; Iezzoni et al 2001; Sommers 2006–2007), their pattern of ED use has not received attention. In the general adult population, it is known that such factors as access to primary care, immediacy of medical needs, ability to pay for services and type of insurance coverage influence whether or not individuals choose to use ED services (Cheung, Wiler, and Ginde 2011; GAO 1993; Group 1994; IOM 2007a; Pitts et al 2008; Rust et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Emergency Departments among Working Age Adults with Disabilities: A Problem of Access and Service Needs

Rasch

Gulley

Chan

2012

Health Services Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective To examine the relationship between ED use and access to medical care and prescription medications among working age Americans with disabilities. Data Source Pooled data from the 2006 – 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a U.S. health survey representative of community-dwelling civilians. Study design We compared the health and service utilization of two groups of people with disabilities to a contrast group without disability. We modeled ED visits on the basis of disability status, measures of health and health conditions, access to care, and socio-demographics. Data extraction These variables were aggregated from the household component, the medical condition and event files to provide average annual estimates for the period spanning 2006–2008. Principal Findings People with disabilities accounted for almost 40% of the annual visits made to U.S. EDs each year. Three key factors affect their ED use: access to regular medical care (including prescription medications), disability status, and the complexity of individuals’ health profiles. Conclusions Given the volume of health conditions among people with disabilities, the ED will always play a role in their care. However, some ED visits could potentially be avoided if ongoing care was optimized.

show abstract

“…There are a number of sources of stress associated with disability. First, persons with disabilities are at greater risk for structural disadvantages reflected in lower educational attainment, lower family income, and greater risk of poverty than their counterparts without disabilities (Erickson, von Schrader, and Lee 2012; Sommers 2006). Persons with disabilities are more likely than their counterparts without disabilities to say they are experiencing financial strain or are “struggling to get by” or “living paycheck to paycheck” (Taylor, Krane and Orkis, 2010).…”

Section: Disability Mental Health and The Role Of Insurancementioning

confidence: 99%

Disability, Health Insurance, and Psychological Distress among US Adults

Alang

McAlpine

Henning‐Smith

2014

Society and Mental Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Structural resources, including access to health insurance, are understudied in relation to the stress process. Disability increases the likelihood of mental health problems, but health insurance may moderate this relationship. We explore health insurance coverage as a moderator of the relationship between disability and psychological distress. A pooled sample from 2008–2010 (N=57,958) was obtained from the Integrated Health Interview Series. Chow tests were performed to assess insurance group differences in the association between disability and distress. Results indicated higher levels of distress associated with disability among uninsured adults compared to their peers with public or private insurance. The strength of the relationship between disability and distress was weaker for persons with public compared to private insurance. As the Affordable Care Act is implemented, decision-makers should be aware of the potential for insurance coverage, especially public, to ameliorate secondary conditions such as psychological distress among persons who report a physical disability.

show abstract

Access to Health Insurance, Barriers to Care, and Service Use among Adults with Disabilities

Cited by 39 publications

References 5 publications

Access to health care and employment status of people with disabilities in South India, the SIDE (South India Disability Evidence) study

Access to health care and employment status of people with disabilities in South India, the SIDE (South India Disability Evidence) study

Use of Emergency Departments among Working Age Adults with Disabilities: A Problem of Access and Service Needs

Disability, Health Insurance, and Psychological Distress among US Adults

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About