ACCESS TO HEALTH-CARE AND CURRENT HEALTH-STATUS - DO PHYSICIANS MATTER

A number of studies examine the link between access to medical care an d health status. Previous studies find little or no relationship betwe en the availability of health care and health status. We examine the i ssue separately for metropolitan and rural areas. We find that the num ber of physicians in a county has a positive influence on the health s tatus of individuals in rural areas. Also, older people benefit more f rom the presence of physicians than younger people. Consistent with pr evious studies, no clear relationship is found in metropolitan areas. These results support several United States government programmes that encourage physicians to locate in rural areas.