Data analyzed by

State Health Compare

Percent of adults with no personal doctor

Measure Overview

While working to ensure that all people have access to affordable health insurance coverage is essential in providing an entry point to the U.S. health care system, it is only a first step in ensuring that individuals receive needed care. Regular interactions with the health care system and, more specifically, with a personal doctor, are essential for building trust in the system and to addressing any known or acute health issues with a physician who also knows a patient’s history and background. Regular visits also serve as a means of prevention for any health-related issues that, when left unaddressed or untreated, could result in unnecessary and costly ER visits or hospitalization.

State Health Compare provides annual, state-level rates of the percent of adults with no personal doctor. Estimates can be broken down by four race/ethnicity groups (African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, White, and Other/Multiple Races) as well as by education level. This measure is based on data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) public use files.

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BRFSS Estimates Show Potential Break in Series for Usual Source of Care

This SHADAC blog addresses a break in series within the BRFSS survey following a change in format to the question that asks respondents if they have a personal doctor. SHADAC researchers outline the changes to the question between 2020 and 2021 and subsequent impacts to the data, along with offering guidance on how to compare multiple years of personal doctor BRFSS data given the notable effects of the question change to resulting estimates.



Spotlight on Health Behaviors: Adults Who Forgo Needed Medical Care and Adults Who Have No Personal Doctor

This SHADAC blog provides an analysis of two indirect costs of rising health care spending and uninsurance in the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic: foregone needed medical care and lack of a personal care doctor. Using data from the BRFSS survey, SHADAC researchers examined national and state-level trends in foregone needed medical care and lack of a personal care doctor, as well as comparisons by race/ethnicity and educational attainment.