How is poverty related to access to care and preventive healthcare?
Data from the Centers for Disease Control

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produce data on health and healthcare in the United States.  Health, United States includes a variety of tables with breakdowns by poverty status.

In 2012-2013 their data for children under 18 with “no usual source of healthcare” show

  • 4% of all children had no usual source of healthcare
  • for poor children the rate was 6%

Children under 6 were less likely than those 6 to 17 to have no usual source of healthcare (3% vs. 5%).  Uninsured children were ten times more likely than insured children to have no usual source of healthcare (28% vs. 2%).  For uninsured children under 6 the rate was 20% and for those age 6 to 17 the rate was 29%.

For adults ages 18-64 data on “no usual source of healthcare” show

  • 20% of all adults ages 18 to 64 had no usual source of healthcare
  • the rate for poor adults in that age group was 33%
  • adults ages 18 to 44 were less likely than those ages 45 to 64 to have no usual source of healthcare (25% vs. 12%)
  • The rate was highest for uninsured adults at 54%
  • The rate was lowest for insured adults at 11%

In 2013, data on preventive care show that

Sixty-seven percent of all women ages 40 and over had a mammogram.  The rates vary by income level:

  • 50% of women at or below the poverty level
  • 57% of women between 100-200% of the poverty level 
  • 77% of women at 400% or more of the poverty level

Fifty-five percent of adults 50 to 75 had colorectal tests or procedures.  The rates vary by income level:

  • 41% of adults at or below the poverty level
  • 45% of those between 100-200% of the poverty level
  • 63% of those at 400% or more of the poverty level

Source:
National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2014. Hyattsville, MD., 2013. Tables 712-73, 83, 85 (PDF) Accessed 11/12/2015