Health Insurance and Youths’ Unmet Health Care Needs

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between youth health insurance status, insurance type (public versus private), and youths' unmet health care needs. A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of U.S. youth. The sample included data from caregivers of 40,723 Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white youth (0-17 years old) and was 49% female. Mplus 8.2 was used and statistical models accounted for the complex survey design. Using unweighted and weighted descriptive statistics and weighted probit regression models, we found that youth without health insurance were significantly more likely to have unmet health care needs compared to those with either public or private health insurance. We further found no statistically significant difference in unmet needs between youth with public and private health insurance. Our findings suggest that increased access to health insurance coverage, regardless of insurance type, may be an important policy focus when addressing youths' unmet health care needs. Our findings can be used to guide future social work advocacy regarding health insurance policy.

Narratives of internal migration experiences, health/well-being issues among females working as head-porters (Kayayei) in Ghana

“…The researchers concluded that healthseeking behaviour among migrants is significantly associated with their insurance coverage. Poverty, which is associated with unmet health needs (Faubert et al, 2019), might be a huge barrier to the Kayayiei workers' ability to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) (Kuyini, 2011;Lattof, 2018;Nyarko and Tahiru, 2018). NHIS is a government health insurance measure that allows citizens to make individual contributions into a health insurance fund, which gives them access to free care with respect to the bulk of services when they are sick.…”

The Health Experiences of Young Internal Migrants in Ghana—Identifying Priorities for Sustainable Health Promotion

“…Evidence to date suggests that migrant groups are often exposed to a range of risks and vulnerabilities including poor living and working conditions, lack of access to adequate shelter, food and health care, coupled with exposure to exploitation, discrimination and abuse [ 6 ]. Inevitably, such exposures have been found to result in poorer health status and unmet health needs [ 10 ], with migrants at greater risk of communicable diseases and mental health issues.…”