Utilization of Health Care by Insurance Status

Minnesota Department of Health Introduction With a sizeable number of currently uninsured individuals potentially obtaining health insurance coverage in January 2014, understanding their current patterns of health care utilization can help the state, insurers and providers prepare for this transition. This issue brief illustrates differences in health care utilization for Minnesota residents by demographic characteristics and insurance coverage status based on findings from the 2011 Minnesota Health Access Survey (MNHA).1 Metrics of utilization analyzed for this issue brief include the incidence of doctor visits, overnight hospital stays and emergency room visits. The analysis also considers barriers to care and health status.