Financial access to health care is a necessary, but not sufficient condition to assuring genuine access to care. There are many barriers besides cost to access. Physicians or clinics may not be located in places where people can reach them easily, particularly people who lack private transportation. Office or clinic hours may not be convenient for people who are working or going to school. A lack of culturally competent care is of particular importance to eliminating health disparities.
New Jersey is a highly diverse state, and growing more so every year.
It is important that all health care providers understand and value the cultures of their patients, in order to better serve their health needs. In addition, increasing the numbers of members of racial and ethnic minorities who pursue health careers should contribute to increasing the availability of culturally competent care. This may prove to be a model that could be expanded to other cultural groups and providers. Expanded insurance and managed charity care, as well as increased availability of culturally competent care, should, by 2010, improve New Jersey's performance on the access to care indicators. Current population survey, as reported in current Population Reports, Health Insurance Coverage.