Men remain less likely than women to have health insurance in the U.S., despite drops in the overall number of uninsured since the Affordable Care Act, new research shows.
In October 2013, before the health reform expansion, 21.8 percent of men were uninsured. But by March of this year, only 15.2 percent were.
Comparatively, 18.9 percent of women were uninsured two years ago, but that percentage declined to 11.2 this year.
The research was done by the Kaiser Family Foundation and published as an infographic in the June issue of the peer-reviewed journal JAMA.
Researchers also found that although men overall are less likely than women to experience cost barriers to care, uninsured men are twice as likely as all men to report cost barriers. These barriers often result in delayed care or reduced prescription medication use.
Men are also are less likely to have seen a health care provider in the past 2 years and to seek screening services or discuss their sexual health with providers, researchers found.
Men are more likely than women to rate themselves as being in poor or fair health. Women, however, are more likely to have a disability, handicap or chronic disease that limits their activity or to have an ongoing condition that requires regular monitoring, care or medication.