Barriers to care among racial/ethnic groups under managed care - Ethnic minorities continue to encounter barriers to care in the current managed care-dominated US health care system.

We describe barriers to care reported by racial/ethnic groups and explore t he extent to which barriers vary between persons enrolled in managed care a nd those in non-managed care plans, using data from the 1996 Medical Expend iture Panel Survey (MEPS), Most respondents expressed satisfaction with the ir care; however, a substantial percentage reported experiencing barriers. Minorities, particularly Hispanics and Asian Americans, were more likely th an non-Hispanic whites were to report barriers. Managed care enrollees acro ss racial/ethnic groups faced different types of barriers than non-managed care enrollees did. Although managed care enrollees were more likely to rep ort having a usual source of care and greater continuity of care, they also reported more difficulties obtaining care and less satisfaction with their care.