Marital status, State policy environment and Foregone healthcare of same-sex families during the COVID-19 period

Sexual minorities in the United States have often reported a higher likelihood of forgoing healthcare than heterosexuals, but whether this occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic remains underexplored. This study applies and extends the Andersen model to examine different-sex and same-sex families’ li...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science research 2024-02, Vol.118, p.102958-102958, Article 102958
Main Author: Chen, Jen-Hao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Healthcare utilization
LGBTQ population health
Social inequality
Social policy
Structural stigma
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Summary:Sexual minorities in the United States have often reported a higher likelihood of forgoing healthcare than heterosexuals, but whether this occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic remains underexplored. This study applies and extends the Andersen model to examine different-sex and same-sex families’ likelihood of forgoing healthcare during the pandemic using nationally representative data from the 2020 (May–October) Current Population Survey (N = 139,636). Results are that during the early stage of the pandemic (1) same-sex families overall are more likely than different-sex families to forgo medical care, (2) cohabitating same-sex families were less likely to forgo healthcare than their married counterparts, and (3) state policy environments will moderate only some of the differences in healthcare utilization by family types. Findings provide partial support for hypotheses and suggest a more careful consideration of the role of partnership and state policy in the Andersen model. Policy implications are also discussed.
ISSN:0049-089X
1096-0317
DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2023.102958