Health insurance status and ill health: implications for health professionals

The article examines the relationship between health insurance status and the instances of self-reported ill health among 1,235 Nebraska adults. Ill health conditions include episodes of both acute and chronic conditions. Health status is measured as Medicare, Medicaid, private health insurance, veterans' benefits, and uninsured. Both Medicare and Medicaid are related to frequency of reported episodes of ill health, but only Medicare is related to reports of chronic conditions. Health professionals interested in improving and sustaining acceptable quality of health care should focus attention on the Medicare and Medicaid populations and not be concerned that adding the currently uninsured to the privately or publicly insured populations would, in the aggregate, increase their burdens of providing care. The study demonstrates the value of using population-based survey data to help health professionals anticipate and respond to patient demand.