Geographic disparities in healthcare access remain a persistent challenge in Medicaid, prompting growing interest in area-level measures that can help identify communities with the greatest unmet needs. Multidimensional socioeconomic indexes, such as the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), may provide a more comprehensive way to target healthcare resources than traditional income-based measures alone. Understanding how these measures relate to primary care utilization can help policymakers direct resources more effectively.

This article examines the relationship between social vulnerability and primary care use among Medicaid beneficiaries and assesses whether federally qualified health centers help reduce geographic disparities in access to care.