Many Nevadans unable to afford care

About one in five adults in Nevada can't afford medical care, according to a report released Tuesday by the nation's largest philanthropy devoted solely to the public's health.

Yet many other states fare worse.

Researchers found that the ability of adults to obtain basic health services in the United States has declined in all states but West Virginia and the District of Columbia over the past decade, especially among those without insurance.

In the decade ending in 2010, the number of Nevadans with unmet medical needs increased by 4.9 percentage points to 21.3 percent. The study was commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and conducted by the Washington D.C.-based Urban Institute.

States with the largest percentage of residents with unmet needs because of the cost in 2010 were Mississippi,
26 percent; Texas, 25.3 percent; and Florida, 25.1 percent.

States with the best rate were North Dakota, 8.2 percent; Massachusetts,
8.7 percent; and Hawaii, 9.7 percent.

If the coverage provisions in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 are ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court - the high court's decision is due in June - the researchers expect the downward spiral in access to continue.

Researchers looked at three key health access indicators for adults aged 19-64: having unmet medical needs because of cost; having a dental visit during the last year; and having a routine checkup.

"This report is sobering because it demonstrates how profoundly a lack of insurance translates into a lack of medical care," said Dr. John Lumpkin, senior vice president at the foundation.

Lack of insurance made it worse for many in Nevada, with 45.7 percent of the uninsured having an unmet medical need compared with 12.5 percent of the insured.

Larry Matheis, director of the Nevada State Medical Association, said the recession affected Nevada's numbers.

"We ended up with the highest unemployment of any state, and that meant many people lost their insurance."

Matheis also said one reason the insured might not be seeing a doctor as much in Nevada could be that their insurance is requiring higher deductibles.

The share of adults receiving a routine checkup decreased nationwide by 5.1 percentage points from 2000 to 2010, to 63.2 percent in 2010. In Nevada, the share of adults who had a routine checkup fell 7 percentage points, declining to 56.5 percent.

Uninsured adults in Nevada were 32.0 percentage points less likely than insured adults to have had a routine checkup in 2010.

Dental visits showed a 1.6 percent increase among those who were insured in Nevada. Uninsured adults were 34.9 percentage points less likely than insured adults to have had a dental visit in 2010.

Contact reporter Paul Harasim at pharasim@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2908.