THE EFFECT OF US CHILDRENS ACCESS TO CARE ON MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR INJURIES

This analysis examined the effect of access to care on nonfatal medically attended injury rates for US children in 1988. Rates of medically attended injury were about the same for children with health insurance and Medicaid, after adjustment for other characteristics. However. lack of medical care coverage (health insurance or Medicaid) had the effect of decreasing the rates of both total and serious medically attended injury compared with the rates for children with coverage. For children without coverage, as many as 30% of total injuries and 40% of serious injuries may not have been attended in 1988.