Does a Medical Home Buffer the Association between Child Poverty and Poor Health?

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of the medical home on health status and health care use among children living in poverty compared with children not living in poverty. METHODS: Data from the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health were used to examine the associations of having a medical home with health outcomes of interest, among children living in poverty and among children not living in poverty. RESULTS: Among 69,039 children ages 0-17 years, children living in poverty had lower medical home access (31%) compared with those not living in poverty (50%). Medical home access was favorably associated with health outcomes, but the strength of these association did not vary according to poverty status. CONCLUSIONS: Notwithstanding the efficacy of the medical home at promoting child health, children living in poverty did not have greater health benefits associated with medical home access compared with children not living in poverty.