Background Racial disparities in access to regular health care have been reported in the U.S., but little is known about the extent of disparities in societies with universal coverage. Purpose To investigate the extent of racial disparities in access to care under conditions of universal coverage by observing the association between race and regular access to a doctor in Canada. Methods Racial disparities in access to a regular doctor were calculated using the largest available source of nationally representative data in Canada - the Canadian Community Health Survey. Surveys from 2000-2010 were analyzed in 2014. Multinomial regression analyses predicted odds of having a regular doctor for each racial group compared to whites. Analyses were stratified by immigrant status - Canadian-born versus shorter-term immigrant versus longer-term immigrants - and controlled for sociodemographics and self-rated health. Results Racial disparities in Canada, a country with universal coverage, were far more muted than those previously reported in the U.S. Only among longer-term Latin American immigrants (OR=1.90, 95% CI=1.45, 2.08) and Canadian-born Aboriginals (OR=1.34, 95% CI=1.22, 1.47) were significant disparities noted. Among shorter-term immigrants, all Asians were more likely than whites, and among longer-term immigrants, South Asians were more like than whites, to have a regular doctor. Conclusions Universal coverage may have a major impact on reducing racial disparities in access to health care, although among some subgroups, other factors may also play a role above and beyond health insurance. © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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patient care immigrant health care survey regression analysis Health Care Surveys South Asian Caucasian insurance health insurance Continental Population Groups ancestry group human middle aged statistics and numerical data controlled study health status Aged Patient-Centered Care Humans migrant male Canada Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics adult Universal Coverage Healthcare Disparities health care disparity Health Services Accessibility public health health care delivery