HOME: Oakland Equity Indicators | Public Health | Access to Preventative Care

The Access to Preventive Care Topic includes two Indicators that measure preventable hospitalizations related to acute and chronic disease, and one that measures health insurance. Non-White Oaklanders are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been prevented by having better access to preventive care. They are also more likely to be uninsured, which is a major deterrent to accessing preventive health services. Poverty and immigration status may make it even more likely for racial and ethnic minorities to lack insurance and forego needed care.

Access to Preventive Care received a Topic score of 28.7. The Indicator scores were relatively similar, with acute preventable hospitalizations scoring highest at 39, chronic disease preventable hospitalizations scoring in the middle at 26, and health insurance scoring lowest at 21.

We found that the average age-adjusted acute preventable hospitalization rate was 360.3 per 100,000 in non-White zip codes and 165.3 per 100,000 in White zip codes. Mixed zip codes fell in the middle with a rate of 256.9 per 100,000, which was slightly lower than the average rate citywide (297.3 per 100,000). The average rate in non-White zip codes was 2.18 times higher than the rate in White zip codes.

We found that the average age-adjusted chronic disease preventable hospitalization rate was 1,132.9 per 100,000 in non-White zip codes and 274.8 per 100,000 in White zip codes. Mixed zip codes fell in the middle with a rate of 728.9 per 100,000, which was slightly lower than the average citywide (884.3 per 100,000). The average rate in non-White zip codes was 4.12 times higher than in White zip codes.

Latinos had the highest uninsured rate (13.1%) and were far more likely than Whites (2.7%) to be uninsured. The uninsured rate among African Americans (5.6%) and Asians (4.2%) fell below the citywide rate (6.4%). Latinos were 4.92 times more likely to lack health insurance than Whites.