Uncovering the health challenges facing people with disabilities: the role of health insurance.

Americans with disabilities have wide-ranging health care needs and face serious challenges in the health care system. This 2003 survey of 1,505 nonelderly adults with disabilities finds relatively large shares of people with disabilities reporting cost-related barriers to care. The study also reveals marked differences in cost-related experiences both between those with and without health insurance and across sources of coverage. These findings suggest the need for additional research, along with policies to provide health insurance to people with disabilities who lack coverage, to fill gaps in coverage among those with Medicare and private insurance, and to maintain coverage for Medicaid enrollees amid rising costs and state budget shortfalls.