Access to Health Care

Positive
• Delayed Medical Care Among Adults Due to Cost: Although still higher than the national average (12.0%), South Carolina has seen a significant decrease in the percentage of adults who have delayed medical care due to cost from a high of 19.6% in 2011 to a low of 15.8% in 2016.
• Avoidable Inpatient Hospitalizations: The rate of avoidable inpatient hospitalizations has significantly decreased over the past ten years, from a high of 1,780 per 100,000 population inpatient hospitalizations in 2006 to a low of 1,415 per 100,000 population in 2015.
• Avoidable Emergency Department Visits: Emergency department utilization has increased significantly over the last ten years from 3,732 avoidable ED visits per 100,000 population in 2006 to 4,362 avoidable ED visits per 100,000 population in 2015.
• In 2015, there were 1,192 children less than 18 years old hospitalized for asthma. The asthma hospitalization rate among children less than 18 years old was four times higher for children of a minority race (21.0 per 10,000), compared to White children (5.2 per 10,000).

Negative
• In 2015, the percent of uninsured among Hispanic persons 18-64 years old was more than three times higher than that among non-Hispanic White persons (43.0% versus 13.3%). The percent of uninsured among non-Hispanic Black persons 18-64 years old (17.9%) was also worse than that among non-Hispanic White persons.

Access to Health Care Breakdown

Primary Care Physicians
Physician Assistants
Nurse Practitioners
Health Insurance Coverage
Delayed Medical Care
Avoidable Hospitalizations & ED Visits
Asthma Hospitalizations
Dentists
Dental Care Among Adults
Dental Care Among Children
Dental Care During Pregnancy

Primary Care Physicians

Why are primary care physicians important?
Primary care physicians are defined as those in active practice with the following specialties: family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and pediatrics. A primary care physician is responsible for providing preventative care, identifying and treating common conditions, and making referrals to specialists as needed. Primary care physicians strive to deliver a unique, tailored, patient-centered health plan. By having a familiar primary care physician, patients typically have better chronic disease management, lower overall health care costs, and a higher level of satisfaction with their care.

Findings in South Carolina
From 2009 to 2015, there was a gradual increase in the rate of primary care physicians per 10,000 residents in South Carolina (Figure 4.1). In 2009, there were 9.0 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents, compared to 10.0 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents in 2015. According to America’s Health Rankings, in 2017, South Carolina ranked 36th in the nation for the number of primary care physicians per 10,000 residents. In 2015, primary care physicians were not equally distributed among the counties of South Carolina (Figure 4.2). The counties with the highest rates of primary care physicians in 2015 were Charleston (22.6 per 10,000 residents), Greenwood (17.2 per 10,000 residents), and Greenville (15.5 per 10,000 residents). Urban counties had significantly higher rates of practicing primary care physicians compared to rural counties. There were 11.2 primary care physicians per 10,000 urban residents compared to only 5.8 primary care physicians per 10,000 rural residents (data not shown).