Health Care Disparities in Race-Ethnic Minority Communities and Populations: Does the Availability of Health Care Providers Play a Role?

Objectives To examine disparities in use and access to different health care providers by community and individual race-ethnicity and to test provider supply as a potential mediator. Data Sources National secondary data from 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 5-year estimates (2010-2014) from American Community Survey, and 2014 InfoUSA. Study Design Multiple logistic regression models examined the association of community and individual race-ethnicity with reported health care visits and access. Mediation analyses tested the role of provider supply. Data Extraction Methods Individual-level survey data were linked to race-ethnic composition and health business counts of the respondent's primary care service area (PCSA). Principal Findings Minority PCSAs are significantly and independently associated with lower odds of having a visit to a physician assistant/nurse practitioner, dentist, or other health professionals and having a usual care provider (all p < 0.05). Few significant associations were observed for integrated PCSAs or for health provider supply. A modest mediation effect for provider supply was observed for travel time to usual care provider and visit to other health professionals. Conclusions Use of a range of health services is lower in minority communities and individuals. However, provider supply was not an important explanatory factor of these disparities.