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Income Still a Factor in Doctor's Visits Despite Universal Health Care

Posted on: Wednesday, 21 February 2007, 15:01 CST

OTTAWA (CP) - The poor are less likely to visit doctors than those who are better off, despite universal health care, a Statistics Canada study suggests.

But the study, based on data from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey, says income is just one of a number of factors involved. More than three-quarters of Canadian adults reported that they had consulted a medical doctor at least once in 2004, and a quarter had seen a specialist.

The study, published Wednesday in Health Reports, showed that individual health needs - chronic conditions and self-perceived general and mental health - had a strong impact on whether people consulted a doctor. But income, too, was a factor.

The study found that adults aged 18 to 64 and seniors in higher household income groups were more likely than middle-income earners to have consulted a general practitioner in the year before the survey. Those in the lowest income group were less likely to have done so.

As well, those in higher income groups were more likely to have seen a specialist.

But low-income individuals who did see a doctor were more likely to make multiple visits.

Research Wayne Millar said it's more than simple income disparity, "it's a complex number of things working together."

"Possibly it may be due to the fact that income is only one measure of socio-economic status," he said. "You have other elements, like culture and your educational levels.

"Even though income may not be a barrier to universal health care, people grow up with certain values and traditions, attitudes and knowledge and behaviour and this is modified by their level of education so people may not react the same way to the state of their health and their willingness so seek health care."

The poor may worry about having to take time off work and losing income, Millar added.

The better-educated may be better informed about illnesses and treatments, leading to more interaction with the health-care system.

Immigrants may be more likely to rely on community networks in dealing with health issues, he said.

The study said seniors, even low-income seniors, were more likely to see doctors than those in lower age brackets. About 90 per cent reported they had visited a doctor in the previous year.

And women age 18 to 64 were more likely than men to see both general practitioners and specialists.

Rural residents were less likely than urban dwellers to consult a specialist, likely because specialists tend to be concentrated in urban areas.

Source: Canadian Press

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