Access to health care in the United States: barriers for neurologic patients, challenges for neurologic physicians.

Approximately 34 million people in the United States have no health insurance. Up to 80 million people have insurance inadequate to provide care for severe or long-term illness (the underinsured). In 1986, an estimated 1 million persons in the US could not obtain needed health care for financial reasons, and another 18.8 million had difficulty obtaining care. There probably are 3.2 million people with neurologic disorders among the 34 million uninsured, and more among the underinsured. Those patients probably have difficulty obtaining health care, including neurologic consultations, laboratory tests, and radiologic procedures. Congress and many state legislatures are considering various proposals to address the problems of the un- and underinsured. Several national medical professional societies have developed programs to improve access to care for their patients. The American Academy of Neurology Task Force on Access to Health Care is studying access to care for neurologic patients and will recommend a course of action to the Academy. The Task Force welcomes suggestions concerning appropriate steps to improve access to health care for patients with neurologic disorders.