Does Access to Acute Medical Care Imply Access to Preventive Care?

Abstract

While research shows that women with disabilities are more likely to have a regular source of care and to have a doctor visit than women without disabilities, anecdotal information indicates that women with disabilities have difficulties with access to preventive care such as Pap smears and mammograms. Using data from a nationally representative health utilization and expenditure survey, this paper examines access to preventive care for the population of disabled women in the United States. Descriptive results indicate that there may be significant differences in access to breast exams and Pap smears among women with and without disabilities. However, multivariate analysis shows that access to preventive care is most strongly influenced by structural variables such as income, education, and insurance rather than personal characteristics such as race, age, and disability. While increased access to acute care gives women with disabilities a modest advantage over women without disabilities in access to preventive care, this advantage is not strong enough to overcome structural disadvantages. Consumers' observations about physical access, transportation, and physician bias notwithstanding, policy solutions need to address structural inequities in education, employment, and access to adequate health insurance.