Effect of the Economic Recession on Primary Care Access for the Homeless

Primary care access (PCA) for the homeless can prove challenging, especially during periods of economic distress. In the United States, the most recent recession may have presented additional barriers to accessing care. Limited safety-net resources traditionally used by the homeless may have also be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2016-08, Vol.27 (3), p.1577-1591
Main Authors: White, Brandi M, Jones, Walter J, Moran, William P, Simpson, Kit N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Ambulatory health care
Chronic Disease - therapy
Continental Population Groups
Coverage
Disadvantaged
Economic Recession - statistics & numerical data
Economics
Emergency Service, Hospital - utilization
Female
Health care policy
Health insurance
Health Services Accessibility - economics
Help seeking behavior
Homeless people
Homeless Persons - statistics & numerical data
Homelessness
Hospitalization
Humans
Insurance
Insurance coverage
Low income groups
Male
Middle Aged
Mortality
Outreach programs
Primary care
Primary Health Care - utilization
Psychological distress
Recession
Recessions
Safety
Sex Factors
Transportation safety
Uninsured people
United States
Young Adult
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Summary:Primary care access (PCA) for the homeless can prove challenging, especially during periods of economic distress. In the United States, the most recent recession may have presented additional barriers to accessing care. Limited safety-net resources traditionally used by the homeless may have also been used by the non-homeless, resulting in delays in seeking treatment for the homeless. Using hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitivity (ACS) conditions as a proxy measure for PCA, this study investigated the recession's impact on PCA for the homeless and non-homeless in four states. The State Inpatient Databases were used to identify ACS admissions. Findings from this study indicate the recession was a barrier to PCA for homeless people who were uninsured. Ensuring that economically-disadvantaged populations have the ability to obtain insurance coverage is crucial to facilitating PCA. With targeted outreach efforts, the Affordable Care Act provides an opportunity for expanding coverage to the homeless.
ISSN:1049-2089
1548-6869
1548-6869
DOI:10.1353/hpu.2016.0104