to
Statistical
Brief Prepared by the State Center for Health Statistics
For the Council on Health Policy Information December 1996
HEALTH STATUS AND ACCESS TO ROUTINE CARE -
North Carolina Adults Under Age 50 by Medicaid Status
According to a recent telephone survey
ofNorth Carolina households, adult
(age 18 and over) Medicaid enrollees are
less healthy than are non-Medicaid
adults. Health status in this case was
assessed using five indicators: a general
self-report of health status (Poor to
Excellent); reported limitations on
physical activities; number of times
hospitalized during last year; number of
visits to the emergency room during last
year; and the occurrence ofa major
health problem during last year.
Medicaid enrollees had more routine
care visits and were more likely than
non-Medicaid adults to report problems
getting to orfrom their source of routine
care. Additionally, Medicaid enrollees
were more likely to use the hospital or
emergency room as a source of routine
care.
The data for this Statistical Brief are
from the North Carolina Health Profile
(NCHP), a telephone survey ofNorth
Carolina households. The NCHP consists
of three modules - adult health survey,
child health survey, and a young child
survey (newborn to six years). The
information in this Statistical Brief is
from the adult health module. The adult
health survey was designed to collect
data on health status, access to care, and
attitudes about health care issues. The
survey was administered by the Survey
a
Figure 1
Percent of Adults by Reported Health Status
Research Unit (SRU) at the University ofNorth Carolina at
Chapel Hill. The analysis of the survey is being conducted by
the State Centerfor Health Statistics.
In 1994, a goal of the state's Health Planning Commission
was to change the focus of the current health system from a
"curative medical system " to "one that focuses on keeping
people healthy. "' With this in mind, this Brieffocuses on the
present health status and access to routine (preventive) care
among adults under age 50. Data for ages 50 to 64, and 65
and over are presented in separate Briefs2 3
.
A higher percentage of Medicaid enrollees reports fair to
poor health (Figure 1).
• Compared to non-Medicaid individuals, Medicaid enrollees
reported more often their health as being fair to poor.
• Over half of Medicaid enrollees aged 35 to 49 reported
having fair to poor health. This is much greater than the 10
percent reported by non-Medicaid individuals in the same
age group.
Statistical Brief No. 6
N.C. Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources