PHYSICIAN SUPPLY AND ACCESS TO CARE IN URBAN COMMUNITIES

This paper uses an analysis of survey data from urban Californians to determine whether patients' reports of access to care were associated with physician supply. On unadjusted analyses, higher levels of physic ian supply were associated with better access to care. However, this a ssociation was no longer apparent after adjusting for underlying popul ation characteristics such as insurance status, income, and race/ethni city. Poorer access to care in communities with lower physician supply appeared to be explained mainly by lack of health insurance and other population characteristics rather than by physician supply. We conclu de that a more geographically equitable distribution of physicians in urban areas is unlikely to compensate for an inegalitarian system of h ealth insurance.