Abstract
This study assessed the importance of county characteristics in explaining county-level variations in health insurance coverage. Using public databases from 2008 to 2012, we studied 3112 counties in the United States. Rates of uninsurance ranged widely from 3% to 53%. Multivariate analysis suggested that poverty, unemployment, Republican voting, and percentages of Hispanic and American Indian/Alaskan Native residents in a county were significant predictors of uninsurance rates. The associations between uninsurance rates and both race/ethnicity and poverty varied significantly between metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Collaborative actions by the federal, tribal, state, and county governments are needed to promote coverage and access to care.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 207-214 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Health and Place |
Volume | 34 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2015 |
Keywords
- County government
- Health care access
- Health reform
- Insurance coverage
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Sociology and Political Science
- Life-span and Life-course Studies