West Virginia State Health Plan

In Access to Health Care in America, 1993, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) defined access to health care as “the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best possible outcomes” (Institute of Medicine, 1993). In this context, personal health services are defined as one-on-one interaction of provider and patient. The Health Care Authority (HCA) for purposes of developing the State Health Plan has adopted a similar definition, “Access is the timely use and availability of personal health services to achieve the best possible health outcomes.” In a broader sense, access to health care has been discussed both in terms of the rights of an individual to seek and receive health care and the ethical responsibility of society to assure that access is equitably distributed.