Health insurance makes a difference in whether and when people get necessary medical care, where they get their care, and ultimately, how healthy people are. Uninsured adults are far more likely than the insured to postpone or forgo health care altogether and less able to afford prescription drugs or follow through with recommended treatments. Problems getting needed care are less common among children, who are generally healthy, but disparities in access to care between uninsured and insured children are as great as the adult differences. The consequences of reduced access to care can be severe, particularly.
