Ranging but Not Changing: Updated Colorado Access to Care Index Shows Scores Remain Steady, But Vary Across the State
With more than five million Coloradans now covered, many policymakers and community health leaders have turned their attention to improving access to health care.
From getting regular dental care to finding a ride to the doctor’s office, there are many metrics that can be used to evaluate access. The Colorado Health Institute’s Access to Care Index uses 25 of these measurements to see whether Coloradans have access to the care they need — a crucial component for a lifetime of good health.
This is CHI’s third biennial Access to Care Index, but it comes with some brand-new features. Data and scores are now available at the county level instead of by health statistics region. And an interactive dashboard will help you explore trends specific to people by income level, racial or ethnic background and county.
The 2017 index finds the statewide average is 8.0 of 10 possible points. This is unchanged from 2015, but a slight improvement from the score of 7.8 in 2013, the year before the ACA’s major provisions went into effect.
However, all is not equal across Colorado when it comes to accessing health care. Boulder and Douglas counties in the metro area tie for the highest access score at 8.3. Saguache County in the San Luis Valley has the lowest score of 6.2.
The index also measures access to care by income and race/ethnicity. Hispanic Coloradans report an access score of 8.1, which is lower than the 8.5 score of white (non-Hispanic) residents. And despite the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, low-income Coloradans have an access-to-care score of 8.1 compared with 8.7 for high-income groups.
CHI’s newest report digs deeper into these and other findings. This is the first in a four-part series of Access to Care Indices we will be releasing in 2018—future analyses will focus on the Medicaid, commercially-insured and child populations specifically.
We hope these indices will be used by communities across the state as a launching point to better understand where people are—and aren’t—getting the care they need. If your community would like to do a deeper dive, please contact me at johnsone@coloradohealthinstitute.org.
Find Emily Johnson on Twitter: @CHI_EmilyJ
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Related research and blogs:
- The 2017 Access to Care Index
- Colorado Access to Care Index 2015
- Colorado Children's Access to Care Index: A Child-Sized Step in the Right Direction