POVERTY AND MEDICAL-TREATMENT - WHEN PUBLIC-POLICY COMPROMISES ACCESSIBILITY

Purpose: To explore poor Edmontonians' access to medical treatment ser vices. Methods: Data were collected during interviews with 130 poor Ed montonians. Results: 38% of study participants had failed to obtain ph ysician services when they were sick or bothered by a health problem, and 40% who had been prescribed a medication hi nor filled the prescri ption. participants experienced three main barriers to access: lack of money, lack of comprehensive health care coverage, and lack of afford able transportation. Finding suggest that a variety of health care and social assistance policies Limit access to treatment services for peo ple living in poor Families. Conclusion. Despite the principles of the Canada Health Acr, access to medical treatment is nor based solely on need, but is tied, in part, to income. There is a need For health car e, social, and economic policies that aim to reduce the barriers that limit access to physician services and prescription medications by peo ple living in poverty.