The Temporarily and Chronically Uninsured: Does Their Use of Primary Care Differ?

The purpose of this study is to examine differences in the use of preventive or early-detection services by the temporarily and chronically uninsured. The use of preventive care was measured by an index that depicts the use of nine preventive or early-detection services and the use or nonuse of each procedure on the index. Respondents whose lapse in insurance coverage was one year or more were identified as chronically uninsured, while those whose lapse in coverage was less than one year were identified as temporarily uninsured. The analysis indicates that the chronically uninsured and, to a lesser extent, the temporarily uninsured use significantly fewer preventive or early-detection services than their insured counterparts.