Socioeconomic Differences in Health Care Utilization

Measure	Income Difference[1]			Educational Difference[2]		Insurance Difference[3]
	<100%	100-199%	200-399%	<HS	HS Grad	Uninsured
Overall Health Care Utilization[4]
People with office or outpatient visit
People with prescription medications
People with dental visit
People with emergency room visit
People with inpatient discharge
People with home health visit
Care in Doctor's Offices and Hospital Outpatient Departments[5]
Outpatient visits where patient was seen before in clinic or practice
Outpatient visits where patient was seen by patient's primary care provider
Outpatient visits where patient was seen for non-illness care
Outpatient visits with counseling or education about diet and nutrition
Outpatient visits with counseling or education about exercise
Outpatient visits with counseling or education about tobacco use and exposure
Outpatient visits where physician spent more than 30 minutes with patient
Referred Care5
Outpatient visits where patient was referred by another physician or health plan						5
Outpatient visits where patient was referred to another physician
Emergency Care5
Emergency department visits where patient was seen by intern/resident only						5

Measure	Income Difference[6]			Educational Difference[7]		Insurance Difference[8]
	<100%	100-199%	200-399%	<HS	HS Grad	Uninsured
Mental Health Care and Substance Abuse Treatment[9]
Adults who received mental health treatment or counseling in the past year
Adults who received outpatient mental health treatment or counseling
Adults who received prescription medications for mental health treatment
Adults who received inpatient mental health treatment or counseling
Adults with serious mental illness who received mental health treatment or counseling
People age 12 and older who received illicit drug or alcohol abuse treatment in the past year
People age 12 and older who needed treatment at a specialty facility for illicit drug use and who received such treatment in the past year
HIV Care[10]
HIV patients with 4+ ambulatory visits in the past year						5
HIV patients with CD4 <50 with 4+ ambulatory visits in the past year						5
HIV patients with inpatient hospitalization in the past year						5
HIV patients with CD4 <50 with inpatient hospitalization in the past year						5

Key to Quality of Health Care Tables : Selected population and comparison population receive about same amount of health care : Selected population receives more care than the comparison population : Selected population receives less care than the comparison population : Data are collected but do not meet criteria for statistical reliability

[1] Compared with persons with family incomes 400% of federal poverty thresholds or above.

[2] Compared with persons with any college education.

[3] Compared with person under 65 with any private health insurance.

[4] Source: MEPS, 1999.

[5] Source: NAMCS/NHAMCS, 1999-2000. This source did not collect information about income or education. Insurance contrast compares uninsured with persons with any private health insurance including all ages.

[6] Compared with persons with family incomes 400% of federal poverty thresholds or above.

[7] Compared with persons with any college education.

[8] Compared with person under 65 with any private health insurance.

[9] Source: NHSDA, 2001. Income and insurance Difference were not analyzed.

[10] Source: HIV Research Network, 2000. This source did not collect information about income or education. Because Ryan White covers HIV patients who otherwise would be uninsured, this insurance contrast compares HIV patients who are uninsured or have no coverage other than Ryan White with patients with private health insurance.

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