Table 3.4: Percent of families in which a member was unable or delayed in receiving needed prescription medications, United States, 2003


  Main Reasond
 
  Experienced Difficulty Couldn't Afford Insurance Related Other
 
Population characteristics Percent Standard Error Percent Standard Error Percent Standard Error Percent Standard Error

 
Total 7.3 0.3 55.4 2.0 16.7 1.3 30.1 1.9
 
Age in years
  18-44 6.7 0.4 60.9 3.1 15.2 2.1 25.8 2.9
  45-64 9.2 0.6 52.5 3.1 19.3 2.4 30.9 3.0
  65 and over 5.4 0.5 47.6 5.4 13.6 3.3 40.8 5.4
 
Sex
  Male 6.2 0.4 52.9 3.3 17.3 2.0 31.1 2.9
  Female 8.3 0.4 57.2 2.4 16.3 1.8 29.4 2.3
 
Educationa
  Less than High School 9.8 0.6 73.4 3.1 9.0 1.9 19.1 2.6
  High School 7.7 0.6 56.6 3.6 17.0 2.1 28.5 3.3
  Some college 6.2 0.4 43.6 2.7 21.2 2.4 38.0 2.8
 
 
Health insurance statusb
  <65, Any private 5.9 0.3 40.9 2.8 23.7 2.3 37.0 2.9
  <65, Public only 15.2 1.2 66.5 3.8 17.7 3.5 21.9 3.6
  <65, Uninsured 11.6 1.0 86.4 2.7 1.3 0.8 12.7 2.6
  65+, Medicare only 5.8 0.9 -- -- -- -- -- --
  65+, Medicare and private 4.8 0.7 -- -- -- -- -- --
  65+, Medicare and other public 7.2 1.6 -- -- -- -- -- --
  65+, Missing -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Poverty statusc
  Negative or Poor 11.6 0.9 70.8 3.5 11.5 2.1 20.7 3.1
  Near-poor 12.6 1.4 68.7 5.4 13.8 3.9 19.7 4.9
  Low income 8.7 0.9 72.8 4.0 9.4 2.7 21.5 3.7
  Middle income 6.8 0.5 53.3 3.4 13.7 2.2 33.6 3.6
  High income 4.9 0.3 27.7 3.8 30.6 3.5 43.9 4.0
 
Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
  MSA 7.0 0.4 51.9 2.2 17.6 1.6 33.1 2.2
  Non-MSA 8.6 0.7 67.6 4.6 13.6 2.5 19.6 3.7
 
Census Region
  Northeast 5.3 0.6 34.6 5.1 26.9 4.3 39.6 5.3
  Midwest 6.5 0.6 52.6 4.5 15.2 3.8 36.5 4.8
  South 9.2 0.7 68.9 2.7 13.4 1.8 19.7 2.3
  West 6.7 0.5 41.6 4.2 18.9 2.6 40.8 4.5
 
Perceived Health Status
  Excellent 3.7 0.5 -- -- -- -- -- --
  Very Good 5.4 0.4 47.9 4.2 15.4 3.0 37.9 4.2
  Good 7.7 0.5 52.7 3.3 18.3 2.4 30.7 3.1
  Fair 13.9 1.2 68.6 3.9 16.3 3.3 19.2 3.2
  Poor 23.6 2.1 71.9 4.8 10.8 3.0 20.8 4.2
 
a Includes persons age 18 and over only. "Less than high school" refers to fewer than 12 years of education; "high school graduate", 12 years of education; and "at least some college", more than 12 years of education.
b Uninsured refers to persons uninsured during the entire year. Public and private health insurance categories refer to individuals with public or private insurance at any time during the period; individuals with both public and private insurance and those with Tricare (Armed-Forces-related coverage) are classified as having insurance.
c Poor refers to incomes below the Federal poverty line; near poor, over the poverty line through 125 percent of the poverty line; low income, over 125 percent through 200 percent of the poverty line; middle income, over 200 percent to 400 percent of the poverty line; and high income, over 400 percent of the poverty line.
d Denominator for the main reason categories is families unable or delayed in receiving the needed care.
-- Less than 100 sample cases.
* Relative standard error equal to or greater than 30%.
 
Source: Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2003.