Doctors Are Often Out of Reach for the Uninsured, Harvard Researchers Say.

Oct. 25--Despite the public's perception that people without health insurance can get help through "safety net" providers such as emergency rooms, soft-hearted doctors and community clinics, the truth is harsher: As the ranks of the uninsured grow, millions of Americans are suffering because they lack even the most basic access to the nation's health-care system.

Seven out of 10 uninsured people in poor health--and nearly half of those who describe their health as fair--report they couldn't see a doctor in the last year because of cost.

Uninsured women ages 50 to 64 (the prime age range for breast cancer) were three times less likely than women with insurance to have received a mammogram or a clinical breast exam. Those between 18 and 64 were three times less likely to have obtained a Pap smear within the last three years.

These are some of the findings published Wednesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association in a pre-election issue devoted to access to medical care.

Health insurance has become a powerful symbol in the United States, with people often staying in their jobs because of it and those without it carrying little clout…