Insurance + Access 
Health Care: Typology of Barriers to Health Care Access for Low-Income Families
Ann Fam Med DeVoe et al.
5: 511
The Article in Brief
Insurance + Access Health Care: A Typology of Barriers to Healthcare Access for Low-Income Families
Jennifer E. DeVoe, MD, MPhil
, and colleagues
Background Many Americans do not have access to basic medical care. This study identifies barriers faced by low-income parents seeking health care for their children.
What This Study Found Low-income families identify three major barriers to obtaining health care for themselves and their children: lack of insurance coverage, poor access to health care services, and unaffordable costs. Obtaining health insurance is most important to parents. If they obtain insurance, they face issues of access to care. Families that overcome insurance and access barriers struggle with costs such as co-pays for office visits, insurance deductibles, and prescription drug costs.
Implications
- There are three successive barriers to obtaining health care: insurance, access, and cost. Insurance does not guarantee access, and having access to primary care does not guarantee receipt of all necessary care.
- Policy makers must understand the barriers faced by low-income families who are trying to obtain necessary medical care.
- Health insurance is an essential foundation for all families, but it does not solve all problems. Policy reforms need to address insurance, access, and cost.
