OBJECTIVES: Donabedian described client satisfaction as “the ultimate validator” of quality in health care. Identify items in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) - 2002 as measured by satisfaction regarding health care access that correlate with satisfaction with quality of care. This is the first step in developing a new model that relates health care access to health care quality as measured by consumer/patient satisfaction. METHODS: Access items from the survey were measured by a 4-point satisfaction scale: 1= very satisfied to 4= very dissatisfied. Only responses on the 1 to 4 scale were used; all other responses or non-responses were considered as missing data. The missing data then were imputed employing the EM algorithm; complete cases were used in the analysis (N= 16,087). A linear regression model by weighted least squares using the one-year cross-sectional weights from the MCBS is done using items in the survey, measured by satisfaction, that correspond to Penchansky and Thomas' five dimensions of health care access- accessibility, acceptability, accommodation, affordability, and availability- and are regressed on the dependent variable MCQUALTY (satisfaction with medical care received in last year). RESULTS: The regression model identified sixteen of 20 eligible items that significantly correlated (p <0.05) to satisfaction with quality of care in the Medicare population of 2002. CONCLUSIONS: Health care access and quality of care as measured by satisfaction have significant correlation in the Medicare population.