Public Health Care for Low-Income and Minority Women with Children in an Age of Welfare Reform

Abstract

The study assesses public health programs to shed light on the experiences of low-income and minority women with children seeking health services. Thirteen focus groups were conducted with 111 pregnant women or women with children. Women consumers of public health services experience difficulties accessing health services due to a lack of insurance, information and language barriers about programs and eligibility, a shortage of Medicaid providers and specialist services, long waits, bureaucratic barriers, and dismissive treatment. Accessibility and information barriers were more prominent in rural regions whereas bureaucratic barriers were more pronounced in urban areas. Lower satisfaction with services was reported among ethnic minority women compared to whites.

Citation

MacLean, V.M., Parker, P. and Sandefur, M. (2006), "Public Health Care for Low-Income and Minority Women with Children in an Age of Welfare Reform", Jacobs Kronenfeld, J. (Ed.) Access, Quality and Satisfaction with Care (Research in the Sociology of Health Care, Vol. 24), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 205-233. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0275-4959(06)24010-9