TUESDAY, April 14, 2026 (NewsDay News) — Nine out of 10 adults in the United States will report having a regular source of health care in 2024, according to a summary of data released by the National Center for Health Statistics in April.
Larissa Mikita, Ph.D. and Julie D. Weeks, Ph.D., of the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, used data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey to examine sources of routine health care among adults 18 and older.
The researchers found that nearly 90 percent of adults reported having a source of regular health care in 2024, with women more likely than men to report having a source of regular health care (93.3 percent compared to 87.1 percent). Compared to men, women were more likely to report a doctor’s office or health center as their usual source of care (82.2 versus 72.6 percent). With age, the percentage of adults who report an urgent care center or clinic over a drugstore or grocery store as their usual source of care has decreased. With age, the percentage of adults who have a Veterans Affairs medical center or outpatient clinic as their usual source of care has increased.
Compared to women, men were more likely to report a hospital emergency room as their usual source of medical care (2.0 versus 1.5 percent).
