The School Enrollment-Based Health Insurance program: socioeconomic factors in enrollees' use of health services

OBJECTIVES: The School Enrollment-Based Health Insurance program is designed to reduce financial barriers to children's health care use. This study sought to determine if any socioeconomic measures differed between enrollees with at least one health care encounter and those with no encounters. METHODS: Logistic regression was used to assess the impact of various predictors on the odds that a child would use health care services. RESULTS: Children receiving free insurance premiums were less likely to use health care than those receiving partial subsidy. African-American and Hispanic children were less likely than Whites to use health care. Age, sex, and months enrolled also influenced the likelihood of health care use. CONCLUSIONS: Financial and non-financial factors must be considered when developing children's health care programs.