Receipt of Preventive Care Among Adults: Insurance Status and Usual Source of Care

This study ascertained the separate and combined effects of having insurance and a usual source of care on receiving preventive services. Descriptive and multivariate analyses of 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data were conducted. Receipt of preventive services was strongly associated with insurance and a usual source of care. Significant differences were found between insured adults with a usual source of care, who were most likely to have received services, compared with uninsured adults without regular care, who were least likely to have received services. Those with either a usual source of care or insurance had intermediate levels of preventive services. Having a usual source of care and health insurance are both important to achieving national prevention goals.