[Differences in the use of health services in the Spanish adult populations]

To explore the use of health services in the Spanish population, according health insurance.

A cross-sectional study using data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2011-2012 was conducted. 21 007 people were included. Among individuals with health coverage, three groups were differentiated: people with public, private and mixed insurance. Univariate and bivariate analyses were developed to know health services and bivariate analyses were developed to know health services use differences by health insurance.

83.5 % of the population reported only a public coverage, 2.5 % has only private insurance and 14 % was enrolled in both forms. Individuals with public coverage visited with higher frequency the general physician (81.9 %), while those with only private insurance visited a specialist in the highest proportion (65.6 %). Individuals with only public health coverage presented the longest waiting times, for both programmed hospitalization and medical attention. In general terms, people with double coverage showed the greatest participation in preventive activities.

Public coverage is the most important coverage of the Spanish population. Different use of health resources were observed according to health insurance.