Healthcare services accessibility of children in the USA

The increase in the number of children without access to healthcare services is an increasingly urgent issue in the United States. By using data from the Community Tracking Study Household Survey 1996 to 1997, we focus this study on the determinants that cause for the widening gap of healthcare service accessibility among children, 18 years and under, in the USA. Our empirical results suggest that factors such as the out-of-pocket price of healthcare services, household income, years of education by parent (or guardian), health insurance coverage, access to healthcare provider (availability of regular provider, obtaining an appointment, and travelling time) and provider-patient interaction strongly determine the actual use of outpatient services by children as realized access (i.e. accessibility).