CRS Report for Congress: Children's Health: Insurance Coverage, Community Clinics, and Access to Care
Author: Purcell, Patrick
Date Published: 1997
In response to congressional requests, CRS conducted an analysis of patterns of use of primary health care services among both insured and uninsured children. The focus of this analysis was the extent to which uninsured children use community and migrant health centers as their usual source of care. Community health centers provide primary health care services to uninsured and low-income persons at more than 2,200 sites across the country. Almost half of the patients treated at community health centers are under 20 years old, and approximately one quarter of these children are uninsured. In summary, we found that only 5% of uninsured children use a community health center as their usual source of medical care and 24% of uninsured children have no usual source of medical care; an uninsured child with a regular source of medical care is three times as likely to see a physician in any given three-month period as an uninsured child with no usual source of care; In 1994, the families of 2.7 million children delayed seeking medical care for their children because of the cost of care. 44% of those children had no health insurance coverage; Uninsured children in the West use community health centers more than those in other regions. Uninsured children in central cities, other metropolitan areas, and rural areas all use community health centers at about equal rates. Use of community and migrant health centers by uninsured children is directly related to the ratio of health centers to total population and the average number of health centers per county; consequently, use of community health centers by uninsured children might be increased by efforts to improve their access to community health centers.
Date Published: 1997
In response to congressional requests, CRS conducted an analysis of patterns of use of primary health care services among both insured and uninsured children. The focus of this analysis was the extent to which uninsured children use community and migrant health centers as their usual source of care. Community health centers provide primary health care services to uninsured and low-income persons at more than 2,200 sites across the country. Almost half of the patients treated at community health centers are under 20 years old, and approximately one quarter of these children are uninsured. In summary, we found that only 5% of uninsured children use a community health center as their usual source of medical care and 24% of uninsured children have no usual source of medical care; an uninsured child with a regular source of medical care is three times as likely to see a physician in any given three-month period as an uninsured child with no usual source of care; In 1994, the families of 2.7 million children delayed seeking medical care for their children because of the cost of care. 44% of those children had no health insurance coverage; Uninsured children in the West use community health centers more than those in other regions. Uninsured children in central cities, other metropolitan areas, and rural areas all use community health centers at about equal rates. Use of community and migrant health centers by uninsured children is directly related to the ratio of health centers to total population and the average number of health centers per county; consequently, use of community health centers by uninsured children might be increased by efforts to improve their access to community health centers.
