Agency for Healthcare 

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research and Quality 

STATISTICAL BRIEF #74 

March 2005 

Access to Urgent Medical Care among 

Adults 18 Years and Older, 2000–2002 

Michelle Roberts, BA and Janet Greenblatt, MPH 

Introduction 

While the overall quality of health care in America shows signs of 

progress, improving this system remains an issue of public policy 

concern for several reasons. First, the level of quality of the health care 

delivery system affects the capacity to provide timely, accessible, 

effective, safe, and efficient medical care to the population in need of 

services. Second, estimates of quality of care are vital to evaluate the 

costs and outcomes of health care delivery and to help identify potential 

areas where improvements are necessary. Finally, all subgroups of the 

population may not be receiving care equally. Following population 

subgroups over time can provide information about whether greater 

equity has been achieved or whether serious gaps remain.* 

This Statistical Brief examines the quality of health care among adults 

ages 18 and older as it pertains to urgent medical care in 2000, 2001, 

and 2002. The results reflect the need for urgent care as it is defined 

and reported by adults in the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. The brief focuses on whether or not one had urgent care needs 

and how timely those needs were met for selected characteristics of the 

population. Only differences that are statistically significant at the 0.05 

level are discussed in the text. 

Findings 

From 2000 to 2002, the urgent care needs of the adult (age 18 or older) 

U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population steadily decreased. In 2000, 

more than one-third (34.4 percent) reported that they had an illness or 

injury and needed care right away from a clinic, emergency room, or 

doctor’s office. By 2002, the percentage reporting urgent care needs 

had dropped to 29.9 percent. (figure 1) 

In 2000, of those in the population needing urgent care, more than half 

said that they always received urgent care as soon as they wanted (54.1 

percent). By 2002, the percentage saying they always received urgent 

care as soon as they wanted increased to 57.5 percent. (figure 2) 

* National Healthcare Quality Report. Prepublication copy. AHRQ Pub. No. 04-RG003. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality Rockville, Md. December 2003. http://qualitytools.ahrq.gov/qualityreport/ 

download_report.aspx 

Highlights 

� From 2000 to 2002, the 

percentage of adults 

reporting a need for 

urgent medical care 

decreased from 34.4 

percent to 29.9 percent. 

� Of those adults with 

urgent care needs, the 

percentage who reported 

always receiving urgent 

medical care as soon as 

they wanted increased 

from 54.1 percent in 

2000 to 57.5 percent in 

2002. 

� During 2000 to 2002, 

people 65 and over were 

consistently more likely 

than people under age 

65 to say that they 

needed urgent medical 

care and they always 

received urgent care as 

soon as they wanted. 

� In 2002, Hispanic 

Americans were most 

likely to report that they 

sometimes or never 

received urgent care 

when needed. 

� Although uninsured 

adults age 18 to 64 were 

the least likely to say 

they needed urgent care 

in 2002, they were the 

most likely to say they 

sometimes or never 

received urgent care as 

soon as they wanted. 
Age 

During 2000 to 2002, people 65 and over were consistently more likely than people 18 to 64 to say they 

needed urgent medical care. The needs of older people were relatively stable between 2000 and 2002 

(38.7 percent in 2000, 36.5 percent in 2001, 36.3 percent in 2002). However, younger adults, age 18 to 

64, were less likely in 2002 than in 2000 to say they needed urgent care (33.6 percent in 2000, 31.8 

percent in 2001, and 28.7 percent in 2002). (figure 3) 

Similarly, people 65 and over were consistently more likely than people under age 65 to say they always 

received urgent care as soon as they wanted. While the percentage of older people always receiving care 

were relatively stable between 2000 and 2002 (65.6 percent in 2000, 68.6 percent in 2001, and 69.6 

percent in 2002), the percentage of younger adults always receiving urgent care when needed increased 

from 51.6 percent in 2000 to 54.7 percent in 2002. (figure 4) 

Race/ethnicity 

In 2002, non-Hispanic whites/others and non-Hispanic blacks were more likely than Hispanics to say they 

needed urgent care (30.1 percent, 32.1 percent, and 26.7 percent, respectively). In addition, the 

percentage of whites/others reporting a need for urgent care decreased from 35.2 percent in 2000 to 30.1 

percent in 2002, while the percentage of blacks with urgent care needs was relatively stable between 

2000 and 2002 (33.9 percent in 2000 and 32.1 percent in 2002). (figure 5) 

Among those needing care, Hispanics were most likely to say they sometimes or never received care as 

soon as they wanted. In 2002, about one in four Hispanics—25.9 percent—reported having an ill-timed or 

unmet response to an urgent care need, an increase from 2000 (22.3 percent). (figure 6) 

While the percentage of Hispanics saying they always received care as soon as they wanted increased 

from 42.7 percent in 2000 to 44.9 percent in 2002, Hispanics remained the group least likely to report 

always getting urgent care when needed. (figure 7) 

Health insurance coverage 

In 2002, uninsured adults age 18 to 64 were less likely than insured adults (those having either any 

private or public only insurance) to report needing urgent care (28.0 percent any private, 44.4 percent 

public only, and 23.7 percent uninsured). The percentage of the uninsured reporting urgent care needs 

steadily decreased between 2000 and 2002 (29.2 percent in 2000, 25.9 percent in 2001, and 23.7 

percent in 2002). (figure 8) 

Again in 2002, among those needing urgent care, uninsured adults age 18 to 64 were 1.7 to 2.4 times as 

likely as those with insurance to say they sometimes or never received care as soon as they wanted (13.7 

percent any private, 19.7 percent public only, and 32.8 percent uninsured). In addition, the percentage of 

the uninsured who sometimes or never received urgent care increased from 28.7 percent in 2000 to 32.8 

percent in 2002. (figure 9) 

Data Source 

The data presented in this Statistical Brief are drawn from the 2000, 2001, and 2002 Medical Expenditure 

Panel Survey (MEPS) Household Component (HC) Full Year Consolidated data files: MEPS-HC-050, 

MEPS-HC-060, and MEPS-HC-070. 

To collect information on the quality of health care received, the first self-administered questionnaire 

(SAQ) was added to the MEPS in 2000. The SAQ contains quality of care measures taken from an 

AHRQ-sponsored instrument, the Consumer Assessments of Health Plans (CAHPS®). The second SAQ 

was administered in late 2001 and early 2002. The third SAQ was administered in late 2002 and early 

2003. 

In each of the SAQs, the questions regarding urgent medical care needs refer to events experienced 

within the last 12 months. It should be noted that the order of the questions pertaining to the need for 

urgent care changed between the 2000 and 2002 SAQ. There were also minor wording changes in the 

question pertaining to the respondent’s ability to obtain care when wanted. 
Definitions 

Urgent (medical) care 

In the 2000 and 2001 SAQ, urgent (medical) care is defined as medical care for an illness or injury that is 

needed right away from a doctor’s office, clinic, or emergency room. However, in the 2002 SAQ, the 

definition was expanded to include conditions; respondents were asked the following two survey 

questions: 

“In the last 12 months, did you have an illness, injury, or condition that needed care right away 

from a clinic, emergency room, or doctor’s office?” 

“In the last 12 months, when you needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition how 

often did you get care as soon as you wanted? “ 

Type of health insurance coverage 

Any private indicates persons having private insurance coverage (including CHAMPUS/VA) any time 

during the year, public only denotes persons having only public insurance coverage all year, and 

uninsured indicates persons who were uninsured all year. 

About MEPS-HC and CAHPS® 

MEPS-HC is a nationally representative longitudinal survey that collects detailed information on health 

care utilization and expenditures, health insurance, and health status, as well as a wide variety of social, 

demographic, and economic characteristics for the civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is 

cosponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Center for Health 

Statistics. For more information about MEPS, call the MEPS information coordinator at AHRQ (301-427-

1656) or visit the MEPS Web site at http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/. 

The health care quality measures used for this study were taken from the Consumer Assessments of 

Health Plans (CAHPS®), an AHRQ-sponsored instrument to measure quality of care by consumers. 

Conditional response rates of 87, 88, and 88 percent were achieved for the MEPS self-administered 

questionnaire in 2000, 2001, and 2002, respectively, yielding overall response rates of 61, 63, and 61 

percent for the survey (15,662 respondents to the 2000 SAQ; 21,435 respondents to the 2001 SAQ; and 

24,249 respondents to the 2002 SAQ). Specific item nonresponse rates generally varied from 1 to 4 

percent for the study questions. 

References 

For a detailed description of the MEPS-HC survey design, sample design, and methods used to minimize 

sources on nonsampling error, see the following publications: 

Cohen, J. Design and Methods of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS 

Methodology Report No. 1. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0026. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research, 1997. 

Cohen, S. Sample Design of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS 

Methodology Report No. 2. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0027. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research, 1997. 

Cohen, S. Design Strategies and Innovations in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Medical Care, 

July 2003: 41(7) Supplement: III-5–III-12. 

Suggested Citation 

Roberts, M. and Greenblatt, J. Access to Urgent Medical Care among Adults 18 Years and Older, 2000– 

2002. Statistical Brief #74. March 2005. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Md. 

http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st74/stat74.pdf
Figure 1. Percentage of adults age 18 and older with urgent 

32.5 29.9 34.4 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

2000 2001 2002 

Percent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

care needs, 2000–2002 

54.1 57.1 57.5 

29.2 28.0 27.1 

16.7 14.9 15.4 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2000 2001 2002 

usually 

Figure 2. Percentage of adults age 18 and older receiving urgent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

always sometimes/never 

care when needed, 2000–2002 
Figure 3. Percentage of adults age 18 and older with urgent 

36.3 33.6 31.8 28.7 

36.5 38.7 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

2000 2001 2002 

18-64 65 and over 

Percent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

care needs, by age, 2000–2002 

69.6 

51.6 54.6 54.7 

68.6 65.6 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

2000 2001 2002 

18-64 65 and over 

Percent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

Figure 4. Percentage of adults age 18 and older who always 

received urgent care when needed, by age, 2000–2002 
Figure 5. Percentage of adults age 18 and older with urgent 

32.1 

25.9 26.7 

35.2 33.3 30.1 33.9 33.9

29.7 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

2000 2001 2002 

non-Hispanic whites/others non-Hispanic blacks Hispanics 

Percent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

care needs, by race/ethnicity, 2000–2002 

Figure 6. Percentage of adults age 18 and older who sometimes 

19.0 

23.6 25.9 

15.9 13.5 13.4 

17.5 18.3 22.3 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

2000 2001 2002 

non-Hispanic whites/others non-Hispanic blacks Hispanics 

Percent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

or never received urgent care when needed, by race/ethnicity, 

2000–2002 
Figure 7. Percentage of adults age 18 and older who always 

2002 

56.5 

49.7 

44.9 

55.5 57.8 57.9 59.4

53.2 

42.7 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

2000 2001 2002 

non-Hispanic whites/others non-Hispanic blacks Hispanics 

Percent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

received urgent care when needed, by race/ethnicity, 2000–

2002 

44.4 

25.9 23.7 

33.2 31.8 28.0 

42.9 45.5 

29.2 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

2000 2001 2002 

any private public only uninsured 

Percent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

Figure 8. Percentage of adults age 18 to 64 with urgent 

care needs, by type of health insurance coverage, 2000–
19.7 

27.4 

32.8 

16.7 14.2 13.7 

21.7 21.2

28.7 

0 

20 

40 

60 

80 

100 

2000 2001 2002 

any private public only uninsured 

Percent 

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical 

Expenditure Panel Survey, 2000–2002 Full Year Consolidated File 

Figure 9. Percentage of adults age 18 to 64 who sometimes 

or never received urgent care when needed, by type of 

health insurance coverage, 2000–2002