Barriers to health care among Bell County residents with health insurance medical aid

Barriers to high-quality health care are associated with negative consequences, not only for the uninsured but also for persons with adequate health insurance or medical aid. Understanding barriers encountered by community residents can improve the outcomes of community interventions designed to address unmet health care needs. The Bell County Needs Assessment was conducted to understand the needs of residents in Bell County, Texas. The current study examined residents' (n = 1422) self-reported barriers to health care and factors associated with reporting one or more such barriers. The most common barriers reported were issues related to health care access and socioeconomic barriers. Residents reporting use of urgent care, emergency room, and walk-in clinics as a regular source of care were significantly more likely to experience two or more barriers to health care (OR = 2.543). Community health interventions may be improved by focusing on reducing barriers among patients who rely on urgent or emergency services as their usual source of care.