Health and Access to Care Among Employed and Unemployed Adults: United States, 2009–2010Anne K. Driscoll, Dr.P.H., and Amy B. Bernstein, Sc.D.The 2007–2009 recession was the longest and deepest since the Great Depression; the economy is still recovering. U.S. unemployment rates were 9.3% in 2009 and 9.6% in 2010, levels not seen since 1983. Health insurance is a major determinant of access to both preventive and acute health care. Most Americans rely on employer-provided insurance. Thus, unemployment affects their access to health services, due to both loss of employer-sponsored health insurance and reduced income. This report uses data from the 2009 and 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to compare the health insurance status, health, and access to health care of employed and unemployed adults aged 18–64 years. It compares health status and access to care between the employed and unemployed by insurance status to show associations between these factors and employment net of insurance status, a major determinant of health care access.
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