Where do U.S. Adults Obtain Their Usual Healthcare?

While we know that primary care providers can be a source of referrals for audiologic care, have you wondered how many individuals have a regular source for their health care needs? If so, you may be interested in a data brief by Mykyta and Weeks (2026).  

Using data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey, these authors examined the source of usual health care for US adults (18 years and older). Specifically, these individuals were asked, “Is there a place that you usually go if you are sick and need health care?” Mykata and Weeks reported that 90.3 percent of U.S. adults had a source of usual care. Women were more likely to report having a source of usual care compared to men. There also was a significant increasing trend by age, with 97.5 percent of those aged 65 years or older reporting a source for usual health care. 

Individuals who reported having a usual source for health care were subsequently asked, “What kind of place do you go to most often: a doctor’s office or health center, an urgent care center or clinic in a drug store or grocery store, a hospital emergency room, a VA medical center or VA outpatient clinic, or some other place?” For these adults, 77.5 percent reported using a doctor’s office or health center, 8.6 percent used an urgent care center or clinic in a drug/grocery store, 1.5 percent used a VA facility, and 1.7 percent used a hospital emergency room. 

Mykata and Weeks (2026) also evaluated the place of usual care by sex and age for all but “some other place”. The percentage for “some other place” was included in the total but not further reported or analyzed.

References

Mykyta, L., & Weeks, J. D. (2026). Source of usual health care for adults age 18 and older: United States, 2024. NCHS Data Brief. (558):1─11. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/252437