The Commonwealth Fund 2006 Health Care Quality Survey finds that when adults have health insurance coverage and a medical home—defined as a health care setting that provides patients with timely, well-organized care, and enhanced access to providers—racial and ethnic disparities in access and quality are reduced or even eliminated. When adults have a medical home, their access to needed care, receipt of routine preventive screenings, and management of chronic conditions improve substantially. The survey found that rates of cholesterol, breast cancer, and prostate screening are higher among adults who receive patient reminders, and that when minority patients have medical homes, they are just as likely as whites to receive these reminders. The results suggest that all providers should take steps to create medical homes for patients. Community health centers and other public clinics, in particular, should be supported in their efforts to build medical homes for all patients. Support for this research was provided by The Commonwealth Fund. The views presented here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Commonwealth Fund or its directors, officers, or staff. This and other Fund publications are available online at www.commonwealthfund.org. To learn more about new publications when they become available, visit the Fund’s Web site and register to receive e-mail alerts. Commonwealth Fund pub. no. 1035. CONTENTS List of Figures and Tables iv About the Authors vii Executive Summary ix Introduction: The Importance of Having Insurance Coverage and a Medical Home ........1 Insurance Coverage Among African American and Hispanic Adults 2 Access to a Medical Home 6 Timely Receipt of Needed Care and Preventive Services 9 Management of Chronic Conditions 16 Safety Net Providers 23 Conclusions 27 Notes 29 Appendix A. Data Tables 30 Appendix B. Survey Methodology 39