The uninsured access gap: narrowing the estimates.
Measuring the cost of universal coverage requires estimates of the uninsured access gap--the additional care that the uninsured would consume. Estimates of this gap from existing literature span a wide range. Using databases that are the source of these estimates, this paper explores differences that might account for the range of estimates including time, populations, control variables, and definitions. Adjusting for these differences, estimates of the uninsured access gap are considerably narrowed. The new estimates indicate that health consumption by the uninsured would increase 50%--implying an increase in total health care spending of about 2%.
Marquis
M S
MS
RAND, Washington, DC 20037-1270.
Long
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SH
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics*; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007348:Insurance, Health; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States