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Health Care Access

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Access to health care refers to the ease with which an individual can obtain needed medical services. RAND research has examined the social, cultural, economic, and geographic factors that influence health care access worldwide; the effects of changes in access; and the relationship between access and health for specific U.S. populations—including racial and ethnic minorities, people with limited English proficiency, the uninsured, the elderly, children, and veterans.

Essay

How Private Health Care Providers Could Better Serve Veterans

Nov 7, 2018

Almost a third of U.S. veterans live 40 miles or more from the nearest VA medical center, so the VA is trying to make it easier for them to use private providers closer to home. But it will take significant efforts to better prepare civilian doctors to deliver high-quality care to veterans.
Report

Spending Estimates Under Medicare for All

Apr 10, 2019

Under a Medicare for All plan similar to some proposals being discussed in Congress, total health expenditures would be an estimated 1.8 percent higher in 2019, relative to the status quo. While this is a small change in national spending, the federal government's health spending would increase substantially, rising by an estimated 221 percent.

Explore Health Care Access

Report

Options for Improving Timely Access to Care Reporting in California

The state of California has developed standards for monitoring timely access to health care, but health plans face challenges in collecting and reporting the information. This report documents these challenges and identifies potential solutions.

Jul 8, 2019
News Release

Social Marketing Campaign to Reduce Mental Illness Stigma May Have Helped Those in Need

People who recalled seeing or hearing aspects of a social marketing campaign in California intended to reduce stigma about mental health issues were more likely to seek treatment for their symptoms of mental distress than those who did not recall the campaign.

Jun 26, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Rural-Urban Disparities in Access to Home- and Community-Based Services and Supports: Stakeholder Perspectives From 14 States

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study examining the impact of the Medicaid Balancing Incentive Program. The analysis in this paper examines factors associated with rural disparities in access to home and community-based services.

Jun 26, 2019
Report

Report

Access to Medical Treatment for Injured Workers in California: Year 3 Annual Report

The key objective of this third report in a three-part series is to describe access to medical care among injured workers in California using medical billing data from Version 2.0 of the Workers' Compensation Information System.

Jun 21, 2019
Report

Report

Understanding the societal impact of treatment of early breast cancer: What are the non-clinical outcomes associated with disease progression?

RAND Europe conducted a study on the societal impact of early breast cancer. This study was divided into three interconnected phases. This is the summary report of the cross-analysis of data gathered through the three phases.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

A Review of the Research Landscape for Treatment of Early Breast Cancer: Implications for future research, policy and practice

RAND Europe conducted a study on the societal impact of early breast cancer. This study was divided into three interconnected phases. The first phase was a mapping review on the published literature on the impacts of treatment of early breast cancer.

Jun 11, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Community Health Workers as Focus Group Facilitators: A Participatory Action Research Method to Improve Behavioral Health Services for Farmworkers in a Primary Care Setting

Since 1965, Federally Qualified Health Centers have provided a safety net for the uninsured and major source of care to those enrolled in public health insurance programs. The distinguishing characteristic of the program is the concept of community governance in achieving the main objective to provide holistic, comprehensive, and culturally competent primary care to low-income and medically underserved areas.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

Factors affecting access to treatment of early breast cancer: Case studies from Brazil, Canada, Italy, Spain and UK: Implications for future research, policy and practice

RAND Europe conducted a study on the societal impact of early breast cancer, divided into three interconnected phases. The third phase was a qualitative study assessing the factors affecting access and delivery of treatment for early breast cancer.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

Findings from a systematic review to explore the patient and societal impacts of disease progression in women who were treated for early breast cancer: Implications for future research, policy and practice

RAND Europe conducted a study on the societal impact of early breast cancer. This study was divided into three connected phases. The second phase was a systematic review on non-clinical outcomes of recurrence after treatment of early breast cancer.

Jun 11, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Systematic Review: United States Workforce for Autism-Related Child Healthcare Services

The 33 studies reviewed identify multiple workforce-related challenges for families seeking treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder-including lack of primary care providers to serve these children, lack of specialty providers, and sociodemographic and geographic disparities in access to ASD services.

Jun 10, 2019
Report

Report

Addressing Social Determinants of Health Needs of Dually Enrolled Beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage Plans: Findings from Interviews and Case Studies

How are the needs of dually enrolled beneficiaries in Medicare and Medicaid met? This report presents ways that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and Medicare-Medicaid plans can meet the needs of dually enrolled beneficiaries.

Apr 12, 2019
Testimony

Ensuring Veterans' Access to Timely, High-Quality Health Care

Though the size of the U.S. veteran population has been decreasing over time, an influx of a new era of veterans with significant service-related health problems has increased VA health care enrollment to over 9 million. Insights from RAND research can help inform policymakers about the timeliness and quality of VA care.

Apr 10, 2019
Research Brief

The Ecology of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Newborns exposed to opioids before birth can experience withdrawal symptoms known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). From 2009 to 2015, the average NAS rate per 1,000 hospital births across eight states rose from about six to more than 25.

Mar 15, 2019
Report

Experiences of Medicaid Programs and Health Centers in Implementing Telehealth

Safety-net providers underuse telehealth due to a range of policy, organizational, and logistical barriers. Examining the use of telehealth by federal programs in seven states, researchers identified common themes and considerations for policymakers.

Mar 8, 2019
Report

Report

Evaluation of Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning and Capacity Building Models: Materials for a Report to Congress

This report examines the quality of evidence for the effectiveness of health care models that connect generalist providers with specialist teams via technology to provide additional training.

Mar 6, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Association Among County-Level Economic Factors, Clinician Supply, Metropolitan or Rural Location, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

This analysis found a significant association among higher long-term unemployment, higher mental health clinician shortage areas, and higher county-level rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Feb 1, 2019
News Release

Study Links Long-Term Unemployment to Increase in Babies Born with Opioid Withdrawal

Babies born after being exposed to opioids before birth are more likely to be delivered in regions of the U.S. with high rates of long-term unemployment and lower levels of mental health services.

Jan 30, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Qualitative Study of Patient Views on a 'Telephone-First' Approach in General Practice in England: Speaking to the GP by Telephone Before Making Face-to-Face Appointments

A series of interviews to help understand patients' views on a 'telephone-first' approach, in which all appointment requests in general practice are followed by a telephone call from the general practitioner (GP).

Jan 8, 2019
Report

Report

Access to Medical Treatment for Injured Workers in California: Year 2 Annual Report

This Year 2 report updates the trends in care for injured workers in California that were examined in a Year 1 report -- all part of a three-year state effort. This study uses data from claims, a physician survey, and Medical Provider Network listings.

Dec 27, 2018
Report

Report

Measuring Barriers to Mental Health Care in the Military: The RAND Barriers and Facilitators to Care Item Banks

This report summarizes the findings of a study to construct item banks of barriers and facilitators to mental health care for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Dec 11, 2018

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Health Care Access

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