In 2013, 12.1% of U.S. families had someone who needed medical care in the past year but didn't get it because they couldn't afford it. By 2018 that had fallen to 9.7%. The improvement came among poor and near-poor families; for families with higher incomes, the share barely moved.
Families that did not get needed medical care in the past 12 months because of cost; error bars show 95% confidence intervals. Credit: CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report*.*
| Families that went without needed care because of cost | 2013 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| All families | 12.1% | 9.7% |
| Poor (income below the poverty threshold) | 22.7% | 17.3% |
| Near poor (100% to under 200% of the threshold) | 20.4% | 16.0% |
| Not poor (200% of the threshold or more) | 7.1% | 6.6% (no significant change) |
In both years, families that weren't poor were the least likely to skip care because of cost.
How it was measured
The National Health Interview Survey's Family component — household interviews with a sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population — asked: "During the past 12 months, was there any time when (you/someone in the family) needed medical care, but did not get it because (you/the family) couldn't afford it?" Poverty status is based on family income and size, using the Census Bureau's poverty thresholds.
Sources
Based on "QuickStats: Percentage of Families That Did Not Get Needed Medical Care Because of Cost in the Past 12 Months, by Poverty Status — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2013 and 2018," reported by Michael E. Martinez and Tainya C. Clarke, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, volume 69, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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