Delayed Access to Care for Younger and Older Adults with Disabilities

Study Design:  Using 2011 Medicare Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, we conducted multivariate analyses to examine two access measures: (1) having a “usual source of care” provider, and (2) delays in getting medical care. Our models included several covariates to account for demographics, health insurance type, region, and chronic conditions. 

Population Studied:  We included working-age adults (18-64 years) in our sample (n=19,903). Nearly one in five adults (18.6 percent) had a self-reported disability, which we broadly defined as having any type of physical, cognitive, or work limitation. A second analytic sample (n=3,825) consisted of older adults (65+ years), over half of whom (54.3 percent) had a self-reported disability.

Principal Findings:  Working age-adults with disabilities had a greater likelihood of having a usual source of care provider (OR 1.21, p<.05), but were more likely to encounter delays in getting needed medical care (OR 2.98, p<.01). Similarly, older adults with disabilities had a greater likelihood of having a usual source of care provider (OR 1.33, p<.05), but were more likely to experience delayed access to care (OR 1.88, p<.05).  Among older adults, dual-eligibles had greater problems with obtaining needed medical care (OR 3.14, p<.01).

Conclusions:  Our findings show that both working-age and older adults with disabilities are more likely to have a usual source of care provider, but also encounter delayed access to needed medical care. A key finding for policymakers is that dual-eligibles in the older adult population are more likely to have problems with obtaining needed medical care.