The Disabled: Their Health Care and Health Insurance

This paper compares the health characteristics (health status, health insurance coverage, use of physician and hospital care, and cost of care) of persons with and without disabilities. Three separate analyses are included: one on children, one on working age adults (aged 18-64), and one on the elderly. Various levels of functional disability are also examined. Particular attention is paid to the source of health insurance coverage (i.e., private, employer-provided, Medicare, Medicaid), employment status, and whether or not insurance is obtained through a spouse. The report is based largely on the 1984 Survey of Income and Program Participation, the 1981 Child Health Supplement to the National Health Interview Survey, and the 1977 National Medical Care Expenditure Survey. [16 PDF pages]