Table 3.1: Percent of families in which a member was unable or delayed in receiving needed medical care, dental care, or 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 19.8 0.6 50.9 1.3 14.2 0.8 44.4 1.3
 
Age in years
  18-44 20.9 0.8 55.1 1.9 13.2 1.2 41.2 2.0
  45-64 22.3 0.9 48.3 1.9 16.1 1.4 45.9 2.0
  65 and over 12.5 0.8 42.4 3.4 12.0 2.1 52.9 3.1
 
Sex
  Male 17.6 0.7 48.4 1.9 14.1 1.3 45.3 1.9
  Female 21.9 0.7 53.0 1.7 14.3 1.1 43.7 1.8
 
Educationa
  Less than High School 22.4 0.9 67.9 2.3 9.8 1.6 30.5 2.1
  High School 20.1 0.9 54.2 2.3 13.1 1.2 42.5 2.4
  Some college 18.6 0.6 41.0 1.7 16.9 1.3 52.1 1.8
 
 
Health insurance statusb
  <65, Any private 18.3 0.6 39.1 1.7 17.4 1.2 52.7 1.6
  <65, Public only 34.0 1.5 58.7 2.7 18.2 2.1 38.4 2.6
  <65, Uninsured 28.6 1.5 86.5 1.8 2.8 0.9 18.6 2.1
  65+, Medicare only 13.0 1.5 -- -- -- -- -- --
  65+, Medicare and private 12.0 1.1 32.9 4.5 12.8 2.7 57.7 4.3
  65+, Medicare and other public 13.5 2.1 -- -- -- -- -- --
  65+, Missing -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Poverty statusc
  Negative or Poor 26.7 1.4 69.8 2.5 10.7 1.6 32.0 2.3
  Near-poor 26.1 1.9 64.7 4.2 14.9 3.1 31.6 3.6
  Low income 23.5 1.3 66.3 2.7 8.5 1.4 37.0 2.6
  Middle income 20.0 0.9 49.4 2.1 14.3 1.6 43.9 2.3
  High income 14.7 0.7 27.1 2.2 19.7 1.7 61.0 2.1
 
Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
  MSA 19.7 0.6 49.8 1.5 14.7 1.0 45.3 1.5
  Non-MSA 20.1 1.0 55.8 2.9 12.0 1.6 40.5 2.9
 
Census Region
  Northeast 14.7 1.0 38.9 2.8 18.5 2.4 54.1 2.9
  Midwest 18.8 1.2 47.7 2.6 13.0 1.8 49.0 2.5
  South 22.2 1.0 59.5 2.0 12.4 1.3 36.8 2.0
  West 20.9 1.0 46.3 2.9 15.8 1.5 47.6 2.9
 
Perceived Health Status
  Excellent 12.9 0.8 44.1 3.4 12.7 1.8 50.7 3.6
  Very Good 17.2 0.7 46.7 2.3 12.9 1.7 48.3 2.4
  Good 22.1 0.9 52.3 2.2 13.5 1.3 42.7 2.0
  Fair 28.7 1.4 57.2 3.1 17.8 2.4 39.0 2.7
  Poor 40.1 2.5 61.9 3.7 17.3 3.0 35.9 3.6
 
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.