This analysis examines educational attainment and access to health care, looking at the extent to which adults (25 years and older) with different levels of education skipped needed care due to cost and did not have a personal doctor.

The analysis uses estimates from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) that are available for all states in SHADAC’s State Health Compare.

Click on the map below to view state-specific estimates for these measures.

Customized infographics for select states are available below the map. Seven states were chosen to be highlighted in the measure of foregone care due to cost because the rate for those with high school education exceeded the rate among college graduates by more than 20 percentage points. Similarly, ten states were chosen to be highlighed in regards to the access of care measure, as SHADAC again found that the rate of not having a personal doctor among adults with less than a high school diploma exceeded the rate of not having a personal doctor among college graduates by more than 20 percentage points. 

Customized Infographics for Select States: Education & Access

Foregone Care Due to Cost
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Virginia

Not Having a Personal Doctor
California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Learn more

Visit State Health Compare to learn more about the indicators used in this analysis, as well as other measures related to social determinants of health. 

Learn more about the high-level findings from this analysis on our blog.