Health needs of people living below poverty level

Background and Objectives: Low-income populations, especially persons witho ut health insurance, suffer disproportionately with a variety of chronic ai lments, postpone getting medical care, and have shorter life spans. This st udy was conducted to better understand the health care needs and behaviors of people living in poverty. Methods: Participants for the study were recru ited through agencies serving low-income and homeless people, neighborhood businesses, churches, and subsidized housing units. All participants were a dults who had incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level. Subjects com pleted face-to-face interviews to answer questions about demographics and t heir concerns about health care. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed. Results: A total of 750 people were interviewed, with 729 provi ding usable data. Thirty-seven percent of subjects reported spending at lea st part of the previous year without health insurance. Fifty-six percent of these individuals were persons who were employed but whose employers did n ot provide health insurance. Reported health concerns were access to care ( reported by 21% of subjects), costs of care (13%), and ability to purchase medications (15%). Forty-five percent of subjects reported receiving mental health services; these subjects were concerned about their ability to cont inue receiving care and to afford medications. Conclusions: The portion of the low-income population that is uninsured for part or all of a year is gr eater than in published reports. The health behaviors of this group are eas ily understood when coverage (if any), level of income, age, and health car e needs are considered.