Disability, Federal Disability Benefits, and Health Care Access After the Affordable Care Act

Abstract

Limited research considers whether differences in health care access and utilization exist for individuals with a disability with and without receipt of federal disability benefits in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) era. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data (2014–2016) are used to estimate the relationship between federal disability benefit receipt and health care access and utilization for individuals with a disability, controlling for disability benefit application, and predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics. Study results show that individuals with a disability receiving federal disability benefits have increased odds of seeing any provider (odds ratio [OR]: 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.12, 2.01]) and decreased odds of worrying about the costs of health care (OR: 0.68; 95% CI = [0.57, 0.80]) and delaying needed medical care due to costs (OR: 0.50; 95% CI = [0.42, 0.61]) versus nonrecipients with a disability. Findings highlight the continued importance to address disabled nonrecipients’ health care access and utilization barriers in the post-ACA period.