Health Insurance Coverage: Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/healthinsurancecoverage.htm?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_kpzYcfc7YHO3S4jKhUw2hhYXlUSfPKktglGPrFod_xZjA1hyGtpUADCvgcIas1pG-RAW7MdUNr_p6lIE_IUvFig3BwQ&_hsmi=312000659&utm_content=312000659&utm_source=hs_email Do you have a landline phone? If so, you may be healthier than me In the second half of last year, 76% of adults and 87% of children lived in homes that did not have a landline telephone, but did have at least one cell phone. For 17 years, the National Center for Health Statistics has regularly released data on the proportion of people with landline phones versus wireless phones — a ratio that has practically flipped on its head over the decades. And in case you were wondering, this is relevant to health. As recently as 2018, NCHS data has shown that people who live in wireless-only homes are less likely to have health insurance or a regular place to go for medical care, and are more likely to face financial barriers to care. It’s another sign that health is inexplicably linked to access to technology. Earlier this month, a federal program to provide people with a discount on a computer and monthly internet expenses ended because funding ran out. In anticipation of this exact scenario, STAT published a First Opinion essay last year from three clinicians and researchers about the real life effects that a lack of internet access can have on patients. https://www.statnews.com/2023/07/20/acp-internet-access-health-care/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8I4o_QWv9jje9o_72s0zwoPjF15POeVoT5x9LUMSlK1H0vnGrc4U5sXlx30kaFInOxCxteqA2hn1VClGiQVk5jmYdr2g&_hsmi=312000659&utm_content=312000659&utm_source=hs_email