Private physicians' provision of contraceptive services

Private physicians provide family planning services to the majority of American women. According to data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, office-based physicians received on average 13.5 million visits annually for contraceptive services during 1990-1992. Private insurance was the expected from of payment for 38% of visits, while managed care covered 22% of visits, and Medicaid or another source of public assistance subsidized 12%; 22% were self-paid and 6% covered by other sources. The majority of patients who received contraceptive services gave a reason other than general family planning or care regarding a specific contraceptive as the primary purpose for their visit, although women covered by a managed care plan or through public funding were the most likely to give general family planning needs as the main reason. Women whose visit was listed as publicly funded were less likely to have a contraceptive prescribed or provided or to obtain a Pap test than were those expected to pay with private insurance.