Barriers to healthcare in young adults with asthma

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The delays and unmet needs of adolescents and young adults with asthma were studied by Scal et al from the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota. The study was performed using National Health Interview survey data from 2001 to 2005. They found that financial barriers and unmet needs were more common in young adults than in adolescents, although delays due to non-financial barriers were similar. The authors also modeled the effect of providing public insurance to the uninsured and a usual source of care. There is still a lot of work to be done to improve access for young adults with chronic conditions.