Becoming less usual: understanding the decline in the number of people with a usual source of care
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Author(s):
- Tavares, Jane L., author Cohen, Marc A., author
- Contributor(s):
- Milbank Memorial Fund, issuing body.
- Publication:
- New York, NY : Milbank Memorial Fund, September 2023
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Aged Healthcare Disparities -- ethnology Healthcare Disparities -- trends Managed Care Programs Patient-Centered Care -- trends Social Determinants of Health Socioeconomic Factors United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Having a usual source of care (USC)--a health professional or care location where one can go if sick or in need of medical advice--is a key component of achieving better health outcomes and having a more positive experience with the health care system. Using data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this study examines recent trends (2014-2020) in the use of a USC among those age 50 and older, with a focus on racial/ethnic disparities and other socio-demographic characteristics, including type of health insurance coverage. The analysis found that people with a USC tend to be wealthier, White, and generally healthier than those without a USC. Between 2014 and 2020 there has been a decline in the use of a USC across all groups except for those enrolled in managed care. Results showed that people tend to either gain or lose a USC with major life changes, and that being a per son of color was associated with higher odds of losing a USC as were decreases in income. Finally, although individuals with a USC used more health care services overall, there was no evidence that they utilized high-cost hospital services more than those without a USC.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (15 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918734076706676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918734076706676