Health care among insured drug users and nonusers

This paper analyzes data on medical needs, utilization, and access collected during 1997-1999 in Houston from 117 drug users and 55 nonusers living in the same neighborhoods. Results indicate that drug users in Houston did not have a different level of medical needs than did nonusers, nor were they disadvantaged in terms of utilization or access to medical services. Part of the difference in results from previous studies may be because the longitudinal design of the study selected for relatively stable drug users and nonusers (for example, all study participants reported some form of publicly funded health insurance). Thus we suggest that, among persons with stable life situations, drug use does not significantly influence medical need, access, and utilization.