Health insurance and access to care for symptomatic conditions

Association between Poverty and Refraining from Seeking Medical Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Prospective Cohort Study

This limited study examined how low household income affected avoidant behaviors to seek medical care during the pandemic. We investigated an association between household income below the relative poverty line and refraining from seeking medical care (RSMC) in a longitudinal study during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted an analysis of a population-based internet cohort in Japan. Individuals aged 20 to 79 years old living in Japan participated in the internet surveys between 2020 and 2021. The primary outcome was the RSMC of regular visits and new symptoms in 2021. A total of 19,672 individuals were included in the analysis. Household income below the relative poverty line in 2020 was significantly associated with refraining from seeking regular medical visits for men and women (for men, odds ratio: 1.28; confidence interval: 1.19, 1.83; for women, odds ratio: 1.42; confidence interval: 1.14, 1.82) in 2021, after accounting for RSMC in 2020. Relative poverty in 2020 was also associated with the RSMC of new symptoms among men (for males, odds ratio: 1.32; confidence interval: 1.05, 1.66) in 2021 after adjusting for covariates. The study suggested the need to alleviate the financial burden of vulnerable people seeking medical care and advocate for making necessary medical visits, even in a pandemic.

Preexisting Condition Protections Under the Affordable Care Act: Changes in Insurance Coverage, Premium Contributions, and Out-of-Pocket Spending

OBJECTIVES

In January 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) preexisting condition protections prohibited coverage denials, premium increases, and claim denials on the basis of preexisting conditions. This study aimed to examine changes in coverage and premiums and out-of-pocket spending after the implementation of the preexisting condition protections under the ACA.

METHODS

We identified adults aged 18 to 64 years with (n = 59 041) and without preexisting conditions (n = 61 970) from the 2011-2013 and 2015-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We used a difference-in-differences and a difference-in-difference-in-differences approach to assess the associations of preexisting condition protections and changes in insurance coverage, premium contributions, and out-of-pocket spending after the ACA. Simple and multivariable logistic or multivariable 2-part models were fitted for the full sample and stratified by family income (low ≤138% federal poverty level [FPL]; middle 139%-400% FPL; and high > 400 FPL).

RESULTS

The ACA increased nongroup insurance coverage to a similar extent for individuals with or without preexisting conditions at all income levels. Decreases in premium contributions were observed to a similar extent among families with nongroup private coverage regardless of declinable preexisting condition status, whereas no significant changes were observed among families with group coverage. We found greater decreases in out-of-pocket spending for individuals with preexisting conditions than those without conditions among both individuals covered by nongroup and group insurance, and a greater difference was observed among those covered by nongroup insurance (difference-in-difference-in-differences -$279; 95% confidence interval -$528 to -$29).

CONCLUSIONS

The ACA protections were associated with decreases in out-of-pocket spending among adults with preexisting conditions.

Patient-Level Factors Associated with Utilization of Telemedicine Services from a Free Clinic During COVID-19

Background: Disparities in telemedicine use by race, age, and income have been consistently documented. To date, research has focused on telemedicine use among patients with adequate insurance coverage. To address this gap, this study identifies patient-level factors associated with telemedicine use during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic among one free clinic network's patients who are underinsured or uninsured. Materials and Methods: Electronic health record data were reviewed for patient-level data on patients seen from March 2020 to September 2020. Patients were grouped by telemedicine use history. We controlled for sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, race/ethnicity) and comorbidities. Logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Across 198 adult patients, 56.6% received telemedicine care. Of these, 99.1% elected for audio-only telemedicine instead of video telemedicine. Telemedicine use was more likely among those living within 15 miles of their clinic (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70-11.53). It was less likely to be used by older patients (aOR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-1.00), patients of male sex (aOR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.18-0.92), and those establishing care as a new patient (aOR = 0.01, 95% CI 0.00-0.07). Conclusion: The moderate usage of telemedicine suggests that its implementation in free clinics may be feasible. Solutions specific to patients with smartphone-only internet access are needed to improve the use of video telemedicine as smartphone-specific factors (e.g., data use limits) may influence the ability for underserved patients to receive video telemedicine.

Expanding legal treatment options for medical marijuana in the State of Louisiana

Background: The use of cannabis for ‘medical’ purposes has expanded throughout the USA. Despite the limited peer-reviewed medical research, medical marijuana therapy has been to treat chronic pain, stimulate appetite, treat nausea, and ameliorate muscle spasticity.

Challenge: In the state of Louisiana, this potential treatment is strictly controlled. The ability of the individual patient to receive this therapy is limited since any prescribing provider had to be both licensed by the state medical board and registered with the board to prescribe medical marijuana. Medical cannabis could be used only for limited medical disorders. The ‘Medical Marijuana’ HB819 bill authorizes the recommendation of medical marijuana for additional conditions and allows any state-licensed physician to recommend/prescribe medical marijuana.

Alternative options: The government may consider working with the state medical board to lessen its regulation allowing a collaborative effort to formalize protocols for safe prescribing of medical marijuana. A more liberal option would be to make it available to the consumer over the counter, while a state tracking mechanism is set in place to limit the amount purchased.

Conclusions: Two stakeholders pertaining to this new legislation to focus on are the Louisiana State government and healthcare providers. This law probably has the biggest impact on healthcare providers and their relationship to patients. This legislation may allow providers to have more ‘freedom in medical marijuana treatment plans’. These benefits would be monitored using such criteria as cost, access to care, as well as patient and healthcare provider satisfaction.

Brief intervention medication therapy management: Establishment of an opioid misuse intervention model delivered in a community pharmacy

PURPOSE

Medication expertise and close patient contact position community pharmacists to make significant contributions to combatting the opioid epidemic. This position facilitated the development and initial implementation of the Brief Intervention Medication Therapy Management (BIMTM) model to detect and address patient opioid misuse. BIMTM is an intervention consisting of 9 sessions. One medication management session is delivered by a pharmacist in a community pharmacy setting, and the remaining sessions are delivered telephonically by a patient navigator to follow up with goals established with the pharmacist and address concomitant health concerns that increase risk for misuse.

METHODS

We employed the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to summarize and present key findings from 4 distinct studies. CFIR domains addressed were (1) intervention characteristics, (2) outer setting, (3) inner setting, (4) process, and (5) characteristics of individuals. The study results show sequential development of evidence for BIMTM.

RESULTS

A multistate cross-sectional pharmacist survey (n = 739) demonstrated limited pharmacist training and/or resources to address misuse, suggesting the need for external intervention development. Our multistakeholder intervention planning project showed limitations of current evidence-based models of care and of intervention implementation, which resulted in construction of the BIMTM. A multisite cross-sectional screening survey of patients (n = 333) established an electronic misuse screening protocol within 4 community pharmacies and identified opioid misuse in 15% of screened patients; among those patients, 98% had concomitant health conditions that contribute to the risk of opioid misuse. Presentation of study results to pharmacy leaders produced commitment for intervention implementation and a partnership to develop a grant proposal supporting this action. Our small-scale randomized trial evinced success in recruitment and retention and BIMTM patient benefit. The small-scale randomized trial likewise showed high levels of satisfaction with BIMTM.

CONCLUSION

The establishment of BIMTM supports community pharmacist identification and intervention with patients engaged in misuse. Continued use of this research-based strategy may further empower pharmacists to address the opioid epidemic.

Barriers to Care Affecting Presentation to Urogynecologists in a Community Setting

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate barriers to care for patients presenting to urogynecologists and determine how these barriers differ in private and public/county health care settings.

METHODS

Standardized anonymous questionnaires were distributed from May 2018 to July 2018 to new patients presenting to a urogynecologist at three institutions: two private health care clinics (sites A and B) and one public/county hospital clinic (site C). Patients identified symptom duration, symptom severity, and factors inhibiting presentation to care from a list of barriers. Patients then identified the primary barrier to care.

RESULTS

One hundred nine questionnaires were distributed, and 88 were submitted, resulting in an 81% response rate (31 from site A, 30 from site B, 27 from site C). In analysis of the private versus public setting, there was no statistical difference between age (58 years vs 57 years, P = 0.69), body mass index (28 vs 30, P = 0.301), symptom duration (24 months vs 16 months, P = 0.28), or severity respectively. When asked to identify the primary barrier to presentation, patients in the private setting stated they did not know to see a specialist (26.2%, P = 0.002), while patients in the public setting could not obtain a closer appointment time (22.2% vs 13.1%, P = 0.35. Additionally, patients in the public setting were more likely to cite lack of health care coverage as a barrier to care (18.5% vs 1.6%, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights barriers that can contribute to the disparity of care seen in our patient population. Efforts should be made to acknowledge and mitigate hindrances impacting access to care.

Self-Identified Social Determinants of Health during Transitions of Care in the Medically Underserved: a Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Medically underserved or low socioeconomic status (SES) patients face significant vulnerability and a high risk of adverse events following hospital discharge. The environmental, social, and economic factors, otherwise known as social determinants, that compound this risk have been ineffectually described in this population. As the underserved comprise 30% of patients discharged from the hospital, improving transitional care and preventing readmission in this group has profound quality of care and financial implications.

METHOD

EMBASE and MEDLINE searches were conducted to examine specific barriers to care transitions in underserved patients following an episode of acute care. Articles were reviewed for barriers and categorized within the context of five general themes.

RESULTS

This review yielded 17 peer-reviewed articles. Common factors affecting care transitions were cost of medications, access to care, housing instability, and transportation. When categorized within themes, social fragility and access failures, as well as therapeutic misalignment, disease behavior, and issues with accountability were noted.

DISCUSSION

Providers and health systems caring for medically underserved patients may benefit through dedicating increased resources and broadening collaboration with community partners in order to expand health care access and enhance coordination of social services within this population. Future studies are needed to identify potential interventions targeting underserved patients to improve their post-hospital care.

The relationship between health services standardized costs and mortality is non-linear: Results from a large HMO population

Older age, male gender, and poor socioeconomic status have been found to predict mortality. Studies have also documented an elevation in health services standardized costs (HSSC) and expenditures in the last years of life. We examined the contribution of HSSC in the last years of life in predicting mortality beyond predictors that have been established in the literature, and whether the impact of HSSC on mortality is linear. Vulnerability, operationalized as being exempt from co-payments due to poverty, being a holocaust survivor, or other reasons, was examined as potentially mediating the relationship between HSSC and mortality. We used longitudinal data obtained from the largest Health Maintenance Organization in Israel. Subjects were insured persons who were over age 65 in 2006 (n=423,140). Predictors included demographics, co-morbidity, and HSSC. All factors significantly predicted time to death. For HSSC, high levels displayed the highest Hazard Ratios (HR), with medium levels having the lowest HRs. The higher mortality rate in the low HSSC group might indicate a risk of underutilizing health services. Vulnerable status remained a predictor of mortality even within a system of universal access to healthcare. There is a need for establishing mechanisms to identify those underutilizing health services. A universal health care system is insufficient for providing equal health care, indicating a need for additional means to increase equality.

Relationship Between Knee Pain and Patient Preferences for Joint Replacement: Health Care Access Matters

OBJECTIVE

To determine if severity of osteoarthritis-related knee pain is associated with a willingness to undergo total knee replacement (TKR) and whether this association is confounded or modified by components of socioeconomic status and health care coverage.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 3,530 Osteoarthritis Initiative study participants. Logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of knee pain severity (where 0 = none, 1-3 = mild, 4-7 = moderate, and 8-10 = severe) on willingness to undergo TKR. Stratified analyses were conducted to evaluate whether socioeconomic status and health care coverage modify the effect of knee pain severity on willingness.

RESULTS

Participants with severe knee pain, compared to participants without pain, were less willing to undergo TKR (odds ratio [OR] 0.73, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.57-0.93). This association was attenuated when adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity, depression, health insurance coverage, prescription medicine coverage, health care source, education, income, employment, race, and marital status (adjusted OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.68-1.24). The odds of willingness to undergo TKR were significantly lower in those with the highest level of pain, compared to those without pain, among participants without health insurance (adjusted OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.56), but not among those with health insurance (adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.73-1.38), when adjusted for demographic, clinical, health care access, and socioeconomic factors (P = 0.015). However, <5% of participants were without health insurance.

CONCLUSION

Among participants without health insurance, severe knee pain was paradoxically associated with less willingness to undergo TKR. Policies that improve access to quality health care may affect patient preferences and increase utilization of TKR surgery among vulnerable populations.

Health Insurance Expansion and Incidence of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Pilot Study in a US Metropolitan Community

BACKGROUND

Health insurance has many benefits including improved financial security, greater access to preventive care, and better self-perceived health. However, the influence of health insurance on major health outcomes is unclear. Sudden cardiac arrest prevention represents one of the major potential benefits from health insurance, given the large impact of sudden cardiac arrest on premature death and its potential sensitivity to preventive care.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted a pre-post study with control group examining out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) among adult residents of Multnomah County, Oregon (2015 adult population 636 000). Two time periods surrounding implementation of the Affordable Care Act were evaluated: 2011-2012 ("pre-expansion") and 2014-2015 ("postexpansion"). The change in OHCA incidence for the middle-aged population (45-64 years old) exposed to insurance expansion was compared with the elderly population (age ≥65 years old) with constant near-universal coverage. Rates of OHCA among middle-aged individuals decreased from 102 per 100 000 (95% CI: 92-113 per 100 000) to 85 per 100 000 (95% CI: 76-94 per 100 000), P value 0.01. The elderly population experienced no change in OHCA incidence, with rates of 275 per 100 000 (95% CI: 250-300 per 100 000) and 269 per 100 000 (95% CI: 245-292 per 100 000), P value 0.70.

CONCLUSIONS

Health insurance expansion was associated with a significant reduction in OHCA incidence. Based on this pilot study, further investigation in larger populations is warranted and feasible.

Impact of County-Level Socioeconomic Status on Oropharyngeal Cancer Survival in the United States

Objective To evaluate the impact of county-level socioeconomic status on survival in patients with oropharyngeal cancer in the United States. Study Design Retrospective cohort study via a large population-based cancer database. Methods Data were extracted from the SEER 18 database (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) of the National Cancer Institute. The study cohort included 18,791 patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma between 2004 and 2012. Results Patients residing in counties with a low socioeconomic status index had worse overall survival (56.5% vs 63.0%, P < .001) and disease-specific survival (62.7% vs 70.3%, P < .001) than patients residing in counties with a high socioeconomic status index. On multivariable analysis, residing in a county with a low socioeconomic status index was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.14-1.29; P < .001) and disease-specific survival (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.12-1.30; P < .001), after adjusting for race, age, sex, marital status, year of diagnosis, site, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage group, presence of distant metastasis, presence of unresectable tumor, histologic grade, surgical resection of primary site, treatment with neck dissection, and radiation therapy. Conclusion Residing in a county with a low socioeconomic status index is associated with worse survival. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism by which socioeconomic status affects survival in oropharyngeal cancer.

The Contribution of Age and Weight to Blood Pressure Levels Among Blacks and Whites Receiving Care in Community-Based Primary Care Practices

We examined whether race and age, risk factors for obesity and hypertension, affect the association of obesity with elevated blood pressure (BP). Using electronic medical record data, we conducted a cross-sectional study of adult patients seen at 6 Maryland primary care clinics from September 2011 through June 2012. The risk for higher BP among patients younger than 65 years and in an elevated weight category was greater for both races but was higher for whites than blacks. For patients aged 65 years or older, weight had little impact on systolic BP, suggesting that approaches involving weight loss to address elevated BP should focus on populations younger than 65.

Type of Insurance and Use of Preventive Health Services Among Older Adults in Mexico

OBJECTIVE

The main purpose of this article was to assess the differences between Seguro Popular (SP) and employer-based health insurance in the use of preventive services, including screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer among older adults at more than a decade of health care reform in Mexico.

METHOD

Logistic regression models were used with data from the Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey, 2012.

RESULTS

After adjusting for other factors influencing preventive service utilization, SP enrollees were more likely to use screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, and cervical cancer than the uninsured; however, those in employment-based and private insurances had higher odds of using preventive care for most of these services, except Pap smears.

DISCUSSION

Despite all the evidence that suggests that SP has increased access to health insurance for the poor, inequalities in health care access and utilization still exist in Mexico.

Why do people avoid medical care? A qualitative study using national data

BACKGROUND

Many studies have examined barriers to health care utilization, with the majority conducted in the context of specific populations and diseases. Less research has focused on why people avoid seeking medical care, even when they suspect they should go.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study was to present a comprehensive description and conceptual categorization of reasons people avoid medical care.

DESIGN

Data were collected as part of the 2008 Health Information National Trends Survey, a cross-sectional national survey.

PARTICIPANTS

Participant-generated reasons for avoiding medical care were provided by 1,369 participants (40% male; M age =48.9; 75.1% non-Hispanic white, 7.4% non-Hispanic black, 8.5% Hispanic or Latino/a).

MAIN MEASURES

Participants first indicated their level of agreement with three specific reasons for avoiding medical care; these data are reported elsewhere. We report responses to a follow-up question in which participants identified other reasons they avoid seeking medical care. Reasons were coded using a general inductive approach.

KEY RESULTS

Three main categories of reasons for avoiding medical care were identified. First, over one-third of participants (33.3% of 1,369) reported unfavorable evaluations of seeking medical care, such as factors related to physicians, health care organizations, and affective concerns. Second, a subset of participants reported low perceived need to seek medical care (12.2%), often because they expected their illness or symptoms to improve over time (4.0%). Third, many participants reported traditional barriers to medical care (58.4%), such as high cost (24.1%), no health insurance (8.3%), and time constraints (15.6%). We developed a conceptual model of medical care avoidance based on these results.

CONCLUSIONS

Reasons for avoiding medical care were nuanced and highly varied. Understanding why people do not make it through the clinic door is critical to extending the reach and effectiveness of patient care, and these data point to new directions for research and strategies to reduce avoidance.

Association of increased emergency rooms costs for patients without access to necessary medications

BACKGROUND

Prescription medications are an important component of chronic disease management. They are vital in preventing unnecessary ER visits. However, few studies have examined the association between patients' self-reported inability to receive necessary medications and emergency room costs.

OBJECTIVES

The study objectives were to: 1) determine differences in ER costs based on self-reported ability to obtain necessary medications. 2) identify differences in ER costs based on self-reported ability to obtain necessary medications among medication users. The association was also examined by insurance category.

METHODS

Respondent data from 10 years (2002-2011) of the U.S. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was analyzed. The models employed estimated the association of respondents reporting being 'unable to receive necessary medications' on ER expenditures. Secondarily, the relationship was assessed by insurance category: private, public, and uninsured. Two-part cost regression models with bootstrapped estimates to produce 95% confidence intervals of cost differences were applied for these analyses. Significance was set at α = 0.05. Analyses were completed using SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC) and Stata 13 (College Station, TX). Estimates were in 2011 US dollars.

RESULTS

People unable to receive necessary medications experienced increased average annual ER costs of $46.62 with 95% a confidence interval [CI] of 34.76-58.49) compared to patients able to receive necessary medications. By insurance category, respondents unable to receive necessary medications experienced increased ER costs of $104.80 (95% CI: 60.57-149.03), $42.16 (95% CI: 24.65-59.68), and $33.18 (95% CI: 18.54-47.82), for Publically Insured, Privately Insured, and Uninsured, respectively. Findings were similar for those already using medications.

CONCLUSIONS

Inability to obtain necessary medications is associated with increased emergency room costs. Those with public insurance have a larger increase in ER costs if they are without necessary medications compared to those insured privately or without insurance.

Limited impact on health and access to care for 19- to 25-year-olds following the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

IMPORTANCE

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) allowed young adults to remain on their parents' insurance until 26 years of age. Reports indicate that this has expanded health coverage.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate coverage, access to care, and health care use among 19- to 25-year-olds compared with 26- to 34-year-olds following PPACA implementation.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Data from the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System and the National Health Interview Survey, which provide nationally representative measures of coverage, access to care, and health care use, were used to conduct the study among participants aged 19 to 25 years (young adults) and 26 to 34 years (adults) in 2009 and 2012.

EXPOSURE

Self-reported health insurance coverage.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Health status, presence of a usual source of care, and ability to afford medications, dental care, or physician visits.

RESULTS

Health coverage increased between 2009 and 2012 for 19- to 25-year-olds (68.3% to 71.7%). Using a difference-in-differences (DID) approach, after adjustment, the likelihood of having a usual source of care decreased in both groups but more significantly for 26- to 34-year-olds (DID, 2.8%; 95% CI, 0.45 to 5.15). There was no significant change in health status for 19- to 25-year-olds compared with 26- to 34-year-olds (DID, -0.5%; 95% CI, -1.87 to 0.87). There was no significant change for 19- to 25-year-olds compared with 26- to 34-year-olds in the percentage who reported receiving a routine checkup in the past year (DID, 0.3%; 95% CI, -2.25 to 2.85) or in the ability to afford prescription medications (DID, -0.4%; 95% CI, -2.93 to 1.93), dental care (DID, -2.6%; 95% CI, -5.61 to 0.61), or physician visits (DID, -1.7%; 95% CI, -3.66 to 0.26). There was also no change in the percentage who reported receiving a flu shot (DID, 1.9; 95% CI, -1.93 to 4.93). Insured individuals were more likely to report having a usual source of care and a recent routine checkup and were more likely to be able to afford health care than uninsured individuals.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Implementation of the PPACA was associated with increased health insurance coverage for 19- to 25-year-olds without significant changes in perceived health care affordability or health status. Although the likelihood of having a usual source of care declined between 2009 and 2012 for all, this decrease was smaller among 19- to 25-year-olds, and younger adults were more likely than 26- to 34-year-olds to have a usual source of care.

Disability, Health Insurance and Psychological Distress among US Adults: An Application of the Stress Process

Structural resources, including access to health insurance, are understudied in relation to the stress process. Disability increases the likelihood of mental health problems, but health insurance may moderate this relationship. We explore health insurance coverage as a moderator of the relationship between disability and psychological distress. A pooled sample from 2008-2010 (N=57,958) was obtained from the Integrated Health Interview Series. Chow tests were performed to assess insurance group differences in the association between disability and distress. Results indicated higher levels of distress associated with disability among uninsured adults compared to their peers with public or private insurance. The strength of the relationship between disability and distress was weaker for persons with public compared to private insurance. As the Affordable Care Act is implemented, decision-makers should be aware of the potential for insurance coverage, especially public, to ameliorate secondary conditions such as psychological distress among persons who report a physical disability.

Implementation of an acute venous thromboembolism clinical pathway reduces healthcare utilization and mitigates health disparities

BACKGROUND

Acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) is prevalent, expensive, and deadly. Published data at our institution identified significant VTE care variation based on payer source. We developed a VTE clinical pathway to standardize care, decrease hospital utilization, provide education, and mitigate disparities.

METHODS

Target population for our interdisciplinary pathway was acute medical VTE patients. The intervention included order sets, system-wide education, follow-up phone calls, and coordinated posthospital care. Study data (n = 241) were compared to historical data (n = 234), evaluating outcomes of hospital admission, length of stay (LOS), and reutilization, stratified by payer source.

RESULTS

A total of 241 patients entered the VTE clinical care pathway: 107 with deep venous thrombosis (44.4%) and 134 with a pulmonary embolism (55.6%). Within the pathway, uninsured VTE patients were admitted at a lower rate than insured patients (65.9 vs 79.1%; P = 0.032). LOS decreased from 4.4 to 3.1 days (P < 0.001) for admitted VTE patients and from 5.9 to 3.1 days among uninsured patients (P = 0.0006). Overall, 30-day emergency department recidivism remained 11%, but declined (17.9% to 13.6%) among uninsured patients (P = 0.593). Fewer pathway patients (5.8%) were readmitted compared to historical patients (9.4%, P = 0.254). Individual cost of care decreased from $7610 to $5295 (P < 0.005) for any VTE patient, and from $9953 to $4304 (P = 0.001) per uninsured patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementing an interdisciplinary, clinical pathway standardized care for VTE patients and dramatically reduced hospital utilization and cost, particularly among uninsured patients. Results of this novel study demonstrate a model for improving transitional care coordination with local community health clinics and delivering care to vulnerable populations. Other disease populations may benefit from the development of a similar model.

The association of lacking insurance with outcomes of severe sepsis: retrospective analysis of an administrative database*

OBJECTIVE

Patients with severe sepsis have high mortality that is improved by timely, often expensive, treatments. Patients without insurance are more likely to delay seeking care; they may also receive less intense care.

DESIGN

We performed a retrospective analysis of administrative database-Healthcare Costs and Utilization Project's Nationwide Inpatient Sample-to test whether mortality is more likely among uninsured patients hospitalized for severe sepsis.

PATIENTS

None.

INTERVENTIONS

We used International Classification of Diseases-9th Revision, Clinical Modification, codes indicating sepsis and organ system failure to identify hospitalizations for severe sepsis among patients aged 18-64 between 2000 and 2008. We excluded patients with end-stage renal disease or solid organ transplants because very few are uninsured. We performed multivariate logistic regression modeling to examine the association of insurance status and in-hospital mortality, adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics. We performed subgroup analysis to examine whether the impact of insurance status varied by geographical region; by patient age, sex, or race; or by hospital characteristics such as teaching status, size, or ownership. We used similar methods to examine the impact of insurance status on the use of certain procedures, length of stay, and discharge destination.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

There were 1,600,269 discharges with severe sepsis from 2000 through 2008 in the age group 18-64 years. Uninsured people, who accounted for 7.5% of admissions with severe sepsis, had higher adjusted odds of mortality (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.37-1.47) than privately insured people. The higher mortality in uninsured was present in all subgroups and was similar in each year from 2000 to 2008. After adjustment, uninsured individuals had a slightly shorter length of stay than insured people and were less likely to receive five of the six interventions we examined. They were also less likely to be discharged to skilled nursing facilities or with home healthcare after discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

Uninsured are more likely to die following admission for severe sepsis than patients with insurance, even after adjusting for potential confounders. This was not due to a hospital effect or demographic or clinical factors available in our administrative database. Further research should examine the mechanisms that lead to this association.

The geographic concentration of US adult obesity prevalence and associated social, economic, and environmental factors

OBJECTIVE

This study used spatial statistical methods to test the hypotheses that county-level adult obesity prevalence in the United States is (1) regionally concentrated at significant levels, and (2) linked to local-level factors, after controlling for state-level effects.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other secondary sources. The units of analysis were counties. The dependent variable was the age-adjusted percentage of adults who were obese in 2009 (body mass index >30 kg/m2).

RESULTS

The prevalence of county-level obesity varied from 13.5% to 47.9% with a mean of 30.3%. Obesity prevalence across counties was not spatially random: 15.8% belonged to high-obesity regions and 13.5% belonged to low-obesity regions. Obesity was positively associated with unemployment, outpatient healthcare visits, physical inactivity, female-headed families, black populations, and less education. Obesity was negatively correlated with physician numbers, natural amenities, percent ≥65 years, Hispanic populations, and larger population size. A number of variables were notable for not reaching significance after controlling for other factors, including poverty and food environment measures.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrate the importance of local-level factors in explaining geographic variation in obesity prevalence, and thus hold implications for geographically targeted interventions to combat the obesity epidemic.

Health care avoidance among people with serious psychological distress: analyses of 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey

Using data of 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey, we investigated the association between individuals' psychological distress and their reported avoidance of medical care and assessed whether people with serious psychological distress (SPD) were more likely to report psychosocial barriers to care. After controlling for demographic and health characteristics, individuals with SPD were more likely than those without SPD to report having avoided visiting a doctor even when they suspected they should (OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.08-2.48). The distressed individuals were also more likely to agree that they avoided a doctor because of fear of having a serious illness (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.15-3.44) or thinking about dying (OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.12-4.11). Further understanding of the mechanism under which an individuals' mental health status may influence their perceived need for health and their use of medical services would improve the interface between mental health and primary care services.

Barriers to care and comorbidities along the U.S.-Mexico border

OBJECTIVE

While limited access to care is associated with adverse health conditions, little research has investigated the association between barriers to care and having multiple health conditions (comorbidities). We compared the financial, structural, and cognitive barriers to care between Mexican-American border residents with and without comorbidities.

METHODS

We conducted a stratified, two-stage, randomized, cross-sectional health survey in 2009-2010 among 1,002 Mexican-American households. Measures included demographic characteristics; financial, structural, and cognitive barriers to health care; and prevalence of health conditions.

RESULTS

Comorbidities, most frequently cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, were reported by 37.7% of participants. Controlling for demographics, income, and health insurance, six financial barriers, including direct measures of inability to pay for medical costs, were associated with having comorbidities (odds ratios [ORs] ranged from 1.7 to 4.1, p<0.05). The structural barrier of transportation (OR=3.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.91, 6.97, p<0.001) was also associated with higher odds of comorbidities, as were cognitive barriers of difficulty understanding medical information (OR=1.71, 95% CI 1.10, 2.66, p=0.017), being confused about arrangements (OR=1.82, 95% CI 1.04, 3.21, p=0.037), and not being treated with respect in medical settings (OR=1.63, 95% CI 1.05, 2.53, p=0.028). When restricting analyses to participants with at least one health condition (comparing one condition vs. having ≥ 2 comorbid conditions), associations were maintained for financial and transportation barriers but not for cognitive barriers.

CONCLUSION

A substantial proportion of adults reported comorbidities. Given the greater burden of barriers to medical care among people with comorbidities, interventions addressing these barriers present an important avenue for research and practice among Mexican-American border residents.

Independent associations of childhood and current socioeconomic status with risk of self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis in a family-medicine cohort of North-Carolinians

Background

Associations of socioeconomic status (SES) with the prevalence of various forms of arthritis are well documented. Increasing evidence suggests that SES during childhood is a lasting determinant of health, but its association with the onset of arthritis remains unclear.

Methods

Cross-sectional data on 1276 participants originated from 22 family practices in North-Carolina, USA. We created 4-level (high, medium, low, lowest) current SES and childhood SES summary scores based on parental and participant education, occupation and homeownership. We investigated associations of individual SES characteristics, summary scores and SES trajectories (e.g. high/low) with self-reported arthritis in logistic regression models progressively adjusted for race and gender, age, then BMI, and clustered by family practice.

Results

We found evidence for independent associations of both childhood and current SES with the reporting of arthritis across our models. In covariate-adjusted models simultaneously including current and childhood SES, compared with high SES participants in the lowest childhood SES category (OR = 1.39 [95% CI = 1.04, 1.85]) and those in the low (OR = 1.66 [95% CI = 1.14, 2.42]) and lowest (OR = 2.08 [95% CI = 1.16, 3.74]) categories of current SES had significantly greater odds of having self-reported arthritis.

Conclusions

Current SES and childhood SES are both associated with the odds of reporting arthritis within this primary-care population, although the possibly superseding influence of existing circumstances must be noted. BMI was a likely mechanism in the association of childhood SES with arthritis onset, and research is needed to elucidate further pathways linking the socioeconomic environment across life-stages and the development of rheumatic diseases.

Outcomes of hospitalizations attributed to periapical abscess from 2000 to 2008: a longitudinal trend analysis

INTRODUCTION

Root canal therapy is a highly successful in-office treatment and preventive measure against periapical abscesses. Left untreated, periapical abscesses can have serious consequences that can lead to hospitalization. This study observes the trends of hospitalizations attributed to periapical abscesses.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (years 2000-2008) was used; we selected cases with a primary diagnosis of a periapical abscess with/without sinus involvement. The demographic characteristics and outcomes were examined. Each individual hospitalization was the unit of analysis.

RESULTS

During the 9-year study period, a total of 61,439 hospitalizations were primarily attributed to periapical abscesses in the United States. The average age was 37 years, and 89% of all hospitalizations occurred on an emergency/urgent basis. The mean length of stay was 2.96 days, and a total of 66 patients died in hospitals. Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance plans paid for 18.7%, 25.2%, and 33.4% of hospitalizations, respectively. Uninsured patients accounted for 18.5% of hospitalizations. Significant predictors that influenced both hospital charges and length of stay included age, race, insurance status, a periapical abscess with sinus involvement, geographic region of country, the Charlson comorbidity index, and the year of study (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study highlights the increasing burden of hospitalization of patients with periapical abscesses over a 9-year study period from 2000 to 2008. The high-risk groups likely to seek a hospital setting for the treatment of periapical abscesses were identified as were groups associated with higher hospital charges and a longer length of stay.

Divorce and women's risk of health insurance loss

This article bridges the literatures on the economic consequences of divorce for women with that on marital transitions and health by focusing on women's health insurance. Using a monthly calendar of marital status and health insurance coverage from 1,442 women in the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we examine how women's health insurance changes after divorce. Our estimates suggest that roughly 115,000 American women lose private health insurance annually in the months following divorce and that roughly 65,000 of these women become uninsured. The loss of insurance coverage we observe is not just a short-term disruption. Women's rates of insurance coverage remain depressed for more than two years after divorce. Insurance loss may compound the economic losses women experience after divorce and contribute to as well as compound previously documented health declines following divorce.

Differences in mortality for surgical cancer patients by insurance and hospital safety net status

Recent research suggests hospitals serving low-income patients have poorer outcomes. However, safety net hospitals (SNHs) offering access to care regardless of insurance coverage may provide better care than low-income patients would otherwise receive. This study considers the association between insurance and mortality among surgical cancer patients and the role of SNHs. We estimate models of 1- and 5-year mortality on insurance, SNH status, patient characteristics, and hospital surgical volume for colorectal and breast cancer patients. Interaction terms between insurance and SNH status estimate how mortality differs by insurance source at SNHs. Medicaid and uninsurance are associated with significantly higher mortality for colorectal cancer patients. There is a statistically significant improvement in mortality for Medicaid colorectal cancer patients treated in SNHs relative to non-SNHs and a marginally significant improvement for uninsured breast cancer patients treated in SNHs. The results suggest a survival benefit for low-income patients treated in SNHs.

Health related quality of life in a rural area with low racial/ethnic density

The purpose of this study was to compare the self-reported quality of life of racial/ethnic minorities and Caucasians living in a rural, northern New York county, where 94% of the population is Caucasian. Participants completed a 79-item survey online and in-person assessing health status, health-related quality of life, perceptions of health information, and health care access/use. Frequencies, Chi-Square, and ANOVA were used to analyze the results. A total of 1,039 surveys were completed. Racial/ethnic minorities earned significantly less income, F (1, 1031) = 29.306, P = .000, relied more on public health insurance, X ( 2 )(7, 1033) = 47.827, P = .000, were significantly less likely to see a doctor because of the cost, F(1,990) = 17.042, P = .000, and reported using health-related services significantly less often when compared to Caucasians, F(1, 1032) = 17.051, P = .000. In terms of quality of life, while there were no significant differences in self-reported physical health, racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to feel sad/blue/depressed, F(1, 1031) = 7.193, P = .011 and worried/tense/anxious, F(1, 1031) = 5.550, P = .040. Findings from this study offer some initial evidence that, while perceived health status is generally good, rural racial/ethnic minorities residing in predominantly Caucasian rural areas may experience more mental health problems that are risk factors for chronic diseases. This coupled with lower use of health care services increases the need for culturally competent health programs and services for this population.

Insurance and inpatient care: differences in length of stay and costs between surgically treated cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Early research demonstrated that patients' length-of-stay and inpatient costs varied according to their health insurance status. The authors of the current report studied a population-based sample of privately insured, Medicaid-insured, and uninsured inpatients ages 21 to 64 years who underwent surgical resection for either nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n = 781) or colorectal cancer (CRC) (n = 8190) or who underwent mastectomy (n = 6201) to compare length of stay and inpatient costs by insurance status.

METHODS

Data for this study were derived from all civilian, acute-care hospitals in Virginia from 1999 to 2005. Hierarchical generalized linear models were used to estimate the relation between the explanatory variables and lengths of stay and costs. All analyses controlled for patient characteristics and hospital random effects.

RESULTS

Medicaid-insured patients with NSCLC had longer lengths of stay (39% or 2.64 days longer) and higher inpatient costs (20% or $2479 higher costs). Uninsured and Medicaid-insured patients with CRC had longer lengths of stay and higher inpatient costs. In contrast, uninsured patients with breast cancer had 11% shorter lengths of stay and 12% lower inpatient costs than privately insured patients. Medicaid-insured patients had 10% lower inpatient costs than privately insured patients. Differences were no longer statistically significant when reconstruction was added to the models.

CONCLUSIONS

Health insurance affected the need for health care and the amount of health care received. Uninsured and Medicaid-insured patients with lung cancer and colon cancer who underwent resection had longer lengths of stay and higher inpatient costs than privately insured patients, but they had shorter lengths of stay when reconstruction was not provided. Among the patients with breast cancer, patients and/or providers economized on discretionary procedures.

English language proficiency and geographical proximity to a safety net clinic as a predictor of health care access

Studies suggest that proximity to a safety net clinic (SNC) promotes access to care among the uninsured. Distance-based barriers to care may be greater for people with limited English proficiency (LEP), compared to those who are English proficient (EP), but this has not been explored. We assessed the relationship between distance to the nearest SNC and access in non-rural uninsured adults in California, and examined whether this relationship differs by language proficiency. Using the 2005 California Health Interview Survey and a list we compiled of California's SNCs, we calculated distance between uninsured interviewee residence and the exact address of the nearest SNC. Using multivariate regression to adjust for other relevant characteristics, we examined associations between this distance and interviewee's probability of having a usual source of health care (USOC) and having visited a physician in the prior 12 months. To examine differences by language proficiency, we included interactions between distance and language proficiency. Uninsured LEP adults living within 2 miles of a SNC were 9.3% less likely than their EP counterparts to have a USOC (P = 0.046). Further, distance to the nearest SNC was inversely associated with the probability of having a USOC among LEP, but not among EP; consequently, the difference between LEP and EP in the probability of having a USOC widened with increasing distance to the nearest SNC. There was no difference between LEP and EP adults living within 2 miles of a SNC in likelihood of having a physician visit; however, as with USOC, distance to the nearest SNC was inversely associated with the probability of having a physician visit among LEP but not EP. The effect sizes diminished, but remained significant, when we included county fixed effects in the models. Having LEP is a barrier to health care access, which compounds when combined with increased distance to the nearest SNC, among uninsured adults. Future studies should explore potential mechanisms so that appropriate interventions can be implemented.

Assessing the prioritization of primary care referrals for polysomnograms

STUDY OBJECTIVE

The mortality attributed to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is comparable to that of breast cancer and colon cancer. We sought to determine if patients at high risk for OSA were less likely to be referred by their primary care physician for polysomnograms (PSG) than mammograms or endoscopies.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study; patients were recruited between January 2007 and April 2007.

SETTING

Academic public hospital system

PATIENTS

395 patients waiting for family or internal medicine primary care appointments were administered the Berlin questionnaire. Chart abstraction or interview determined demographics; insurance and employment status; body mass index (BMI); comorbidities; and prior PSG, mammography, or endoscopy referrals.

RESULTS

Mean BMI was 30 +/- 7.4 kg/m2; 187 (47%) patients had high-risk Berlin scores. Overall, 19% of patients with high-risk Berlin scores were referred for PSG, compared to 63% of those eligible for mammograms and 80% of those eligible for endoscopies. Women (OR = 2.9, P = 0.02), COPD (OR = 4.6, P = 0.03), high-risk Berlin scores (OR = 3.4, P = 0.009), and higher BMI (OR = 1.1, P < 0.001) were positively associated with PSG referrals. Privately insured patients were less likely to be referred than uninsured patients (OR = 0.3, P = 0.04). There was no significant difference in referrals among those with other forms of insurance. Race was not associated with PSG referrals.

CONCLUSION

In a public hospital, primary care patients were less likely to be referred for PSG compared to mammogram and endoscopy. Uninsured patients were more likely to be referred for PSG than those with private insurance. Further studies are needed to address the low PSG referral rates in high-risk populations.

Parental eligibility and enrollment in state children's health insurance program: the roles of parental health, employment, and family structure

We examined eligibility and enrollment among parents of children in New Jersey's State Children's Health Insurance Program following expansion of parental eligibility for NJ FamilyCare coverage. Data were from the 2003 NJ FamilyCare Family Health Survey (n = 416 families). Parental eligibility was higher in households without a full-time employed parent (odds ratio [OR] = 5.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.72, 11.14) and lower among single parents (OR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.23, 0.61). Enrollment was higher among single parents (OR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.17, 4.31). Roughly one third of eligible parents did not enroll, suggesting the need to increase awareness of parental eligibility and reduce barriers to enrollment.

Unhealthy and uninsured: exploring racial differences in health and health insurance coverage using a life table approach

Millions of people in the United States do not have health insurance, and wide racial and ethnic disparities exist in coverage. Current research provides a limited description of this problem, focusing on the number or proportion of individuals without insurance at a single time point or for a short period. Moreover, the literature provides no sense of the joint risk of being uninsured and in need of medical care. In this article, we use a life table approach to calculate health- and insurance-specific life expectancies for whites and blacks, thereby providing estimates of the duration of exposure to different insurance and health states over a typical lifetime. We find that, on average, Americans can expect to spend well over a decade without health insurance during a typical lifetime and that 40% of these years are spent in less-healthy categories. Findings also reveal a significant racial gap: despite their shorter overall life expectancy, blacks have a longer uninsured life expectancy than whites, and this racial gap consists entirely of less-healthy years. Racial disparities in insurance coverage are thus likely more severe than indicated by previous research.

Insurance status and hospital care for myocardial infarction, stroke, and pneumonia

BACKGROUND

Despite widely documented variations in health care outcomes by insurance status, few nationally representative studies have examined such disparities in the inpatient setting.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether there are insurance-related differences in hospital care for 3 common medical conditions.

DESIGN AND SUBJECTS

Retrospective database analysis of 154,381 adult discharges (age 18-64 years) with a principal diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, or pneumonia from the 2005 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS).

MEASUREMENTS

For each diagnosis, we compared in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and cost per hospitalization for Medicaid and uninsured patients with the privately insured.

RESULTS

Compared with the privately insured, in-hospital mortality among AMI and stroke patients was significantly higher for the uninsured (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.24-1.85] for AMI and 1.49 [1.29-1.72] for stroke) and among pneumonia patients was significantly higher for Medicaid recipients (1.21 [1.01-1.45]). Excluding patients who died during hospitalization, LOS was consistently longer for Medicaid recipients for all 3 conditions (adjusted ratio 1.07, 95% CI [1.05-1.09] for AMI, 1.17 [1.14-1.20] for stroke, and 1.04 [1.03-1.06] for pneumonia), although costs were significantly higher for Medicaid recipients for only 2 of the 3 conditions (adjusted ratio 1.06, 95% CI [1.04-1.09] for stroke and 1.05 [1.04-1.07] for pneumonia).

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationally representative study of working-age Americans hospitalized for 3 common medical conditions, significantly lower in-hospital mortality was noted for privately insured patients compared with the uninsured or Medicaid recipients. Interventions to reduce insurance-related gaps in inpatient quality of care should be investigated.

The importance of examining movements within the US health care system: sequential logit modeling

BACKGROUND

Utilization of specialty care may not be a discrete, isolated behavior but rather, a behavior of sequential movements within the health care system. Although patients may often visit their primary care physician and receive a referral before utilizing specialty care, prior studies have underestimated the importance of accounting for these sequential movements.

METHODS

The sample included 6,772 adults aged 18 years and older who participated in the 2001 Survey on Disparities in Quality of Care, sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund. A sequential logit model was used to account for movement in all stages of utilization: use of any health services (i.e., first stage), having a perceived need for specialty care (i.e., second stage), and utilization of specialty care (i.e., third stage). In the sequential logit model, all stages are nested within the previous stage.

RESULTS

Gender, race/ethnicity, education and poor health had significant explanatory effects with regard to use of any health services and having a perceived need for specialty care, however racial/ethnic, gender, and educational disparities were not present in utilization of specialty care. After controlling for use of any health services and having a perceived need for specialty care, inability to pay for specialty care via income (AOR = 1.334, CI = 1.10 to 1.62) or health insurance (unstable insurance: AOR = 0.26, CI = 0.14 to 0.48; no insurance: AOR = 0.12, CI = 0.07 to 0.20) were significant barriers to utilization of specialty care.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a sequential logit model to examine utilization of specialty care resulted in a detailed representation of utilization behaviors and patient characteristics that impact these behaviors at all stages within the health care system. After controlling for sequential movements within the health care system, the biggest barrier to utilizing specialty care is the inability to pay, while racial, gender, and educational disparities diminish to non-significance. Findings from this study represent how Americans use the health care system and more precisely reveals the disparities and inequalities in the U.S. health care system.

The unmet health care needs of homeless adults: a national study

OBJECTIVES

We assessed the prevalence and predictors of past-year unmet needs for 5 types of health care services in a national sample of homeless adults.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 966 adult respondents to the 2003 Health Care for the Homeless User Survey, a sample representing more than 436,000 individuals nationally. Using multivariable logistic regression, we determined the independent predictors of each type of unmet need.

RESULTS

Seventy-three percent of the respondents reported at least one unmet health need, including an inability to obtain needed medical or surgical care (32%), prescription medications (36%), mental health care (21%), eyeglasses (41%), and dental care (41%). In multivariable analyses, significant predictors of unmet needs included food insufficiency, out-of-home placement as a minor, vision impairment, and lack of health insurance. Individuals who had been employed in the past year were more likely than those who had not to be uninsured and to have unmet needs for medical care and prescription medications.

CONCLUSIONS

This national sample of homeless adults reported substantial unmet needs for multiple types of health care. Expansion of health insurance may improve health care access for homeless adults, but addressing the unique challenges inherent to homelessness will also be required.

Health services determinants of the duration of untreated psychosis among African-American first-episode patients

OBJECTIVE

The duration of untreated psychosis is associated with poor outcomes in multiple domains in the early course of nonaffective psychotic disorders, although relatively little is known about determinants of this critical period, particularly health services-level determinants. This study examined three hypothesized predictors of duration of untreated psychosis (lack of insurance, financial problems, and broader barriers) among urban, socioeconomically disadvantaged African Americans, while controlling for the effects of three patient-level predictors (mode of onset of psychosis, living with family versus alone or with others before hospitalization, and living above versus below the federally defined poverty level).

METHODS

Analyses included data from 42 patient-family member dyads from a larger sample of 109 patients with a first episode of nonaffective psychosis. The duration of untreated psychosis and all other variables were measured in a rigorous, standardized fashion in a study designed specifically to examine determinants of treatment delay. Survival analyses and Cox regression assessed the effects of the independent predictors on time from onset of psychosis to hospital admission for initial evaluation and treatment.

RESULTS

The median duration of untreated psychosis was 24.5 weeks. When the analyses controlled for the three patient-level covariates, patients without health insurance, with financial problems, or with barriers to seeking help had a significantly longer duration of untreated psychosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Health services-related factors, such as lack of insurance, are predictive of longer treatment delay. Efforts to eliminate uninsurance and underinsurance, as well as minimize barriers to treatment, would be beneficial for improving the prognosis of young patients with emerging nonaffective psychotic disorders.

Are Adults in Poor Health More Likely to Enroll in Public Insurance?

Policies to reduce the number of uninsured people are rarely judged by whether they will increase insurance coverage rates among the chronically ill, despite evidence suggesting that the health benefits of coverage are greatest for these individuals. This paper examines the effect of public coverage expansions on insurance take-up and unmet need by low-income mothers in poor health. We find a 14.3-percentage-point reduction in unmet need among mothers reporting fair or poor health status. Our results suggest that some of this reduction is due to individuals moving from inadequate private coverage to public coverage.

Health Insurance and Access to Care among Welfare Leavers

This analysis explores the effects of the 1996 welfare reform on health insurance coverage and access to care among former recipients of cash aid. Using panel data from the Women's Employment Study, which conducted five interviews between 1997 and 2003 in one Michigan county, we find that 25% of welfare leavers lacked health insurance coverage in fall 2003. Uninsured adults were significantly more likely than others to report that they could not afford a medical or dental visit during the year prior to the 2003 interview. Fixed-effect logistic regression analysis indicates that women who had been off the welfare rolls for at least 12 months (the duration of transitional Medicaid) were significantly more likely to be uninsured than women who had made more recent welfare exits, and were significantly more likely to report financial obstacles to the receipt of medical and dental care.

Listening to rural Hispanic immigrants in the Midwest: a community-based participatory assessment of major barriers to health care access and use

Hispanic immigrants are increasingly residing in rural communities, including in the midwestern United States. Limitations in the ability of rural Hispanics to access and utilize health care contribute to patterns of poor health and health disparity. A conceptual model of "vulnerability" guides this community-based participatory assessment project designed to explore rural Hispanics' perceived barriers to accessing and utilizing health care. Findings from a series of 19 focus groups with 181 participants from three communities in the upper Midwest identified perceived barriers at the individual and health care system levels. The most commonly perceived barriers were the lack of and limitations in health insurance coverage, high costs of health care services, communication issues involving patients and providers, legal status/discrimination, and transportation concerns. Findings imply that these barriers could be addressed using multiple educational and health service delivery policy-related strategies that consider the vulnerable nature of this growing population.

Transforming clinical practice to eliminate racial-ethnic disparities in healthcare

Racial-ethnic minorities receive lower quality and intensity of health care compared with whites across a wide range of preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic services and disease entities. These disparities in health care contribute to continuing racial-ethnic disparities in the burden of illness and death. Several national medical organizations and the Institute of Medicine have issued position papers and recommendations for the elimination of health care disparities. However, physicians in practice are often at a loss for how to translate these principles and recommendations into specific interventions in their own clinical practices. This paper serves as a blueprint for translating principles for the elimination of racial-ethnic disparities in health care into specific actions that are relevant for individual clinical practices. We describe what is known about reducing racial-ethnic disparities in clinical practice and make recommendations for how clinician leaders can apply this evidence to transform their own practices.

Health insurance and access to health care in the United States

Health insurance, poverty, and health are all interconnected in the United States. This article synthesizes a large and compelling body of health services research, finding a strong association between health insurance coverage and access to primary and preventive care, the treatment of acute and traumatic conditions, and the medical management of chronic illness. Moreover, by improving access to care, health insurance coverage is also fundamentally important to better health care and health outcomes. Research connects being uninsured with adverse health outcomes, including declines in health and function, preventable health problems, severe disease at the time of diagnosis, and premature mortality.

Differences between symptom-specific and general survey questions of unmet need in measuring insurance and racial/ethnic disparities in access to care

OBJECTIVE

To examine differences in insurance and racial/ethnic disparities in access to care between a single-item measure of general unmet medical need and a multi-item measure of symptom-specific unmet medical need.

DATA SOURCE

The 2003 Community Tracking Study Household Survey, which included both a single question about any unmet medical needs over the last year, and a measure of unmet medical need keyed to the recent occurrence of 1 of 15 symptoms that a panel of physicians considered serious enough to warrant seeking medical care.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS

We constructed 3 measures of unmet need (general perceived unmet need, perceived unmet need for a specific new symptom, and actual unmet need for the new symptom). We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine whether the measures have similar implications for access disparities by insurance status and by race/ethnicity, while controlling for income, health, and other sociodemographic characteristics.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Uninsured people are consistently more likely than privately insured people to have unmet medical needs across the 3 measures of unmet need, and these differences were not due to differences in the perceived need for care. However, racial/ethnic disparities were apparent only for the symptom-specific measures of unmet need, and not the general measure of unmet need.

CONCLUSIONS

Using a symptom-specific measure of unmet medical need is probably not worth the added survey complexity and cost if the primary objective is to measure access disparities by insurance coverage. However, a general measure of unmet medical needs may not adequately capture racial/ethnic disparities in access.

Ethnic/Racial Disparities in Hospital Procedure Volume for Lung Resection for Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Ethnic/racial minorities experience poorer outcomes from lung cancer than non-Hispanic whites. Higher hospital procedure volume is associated with better survival from lung resection for lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES

We examined whether (1) ethnic/racial minorities are more likely to obtain lung resections at lower volume hospitals, (2) ethnicity/race is associated with inpatient mortality, (3) hospital volume mediates this association, and (4) hospital selection is mediated by racial/ethnic segregation, differences in insurance coverage, or limited hospital choice.

METHODS

Six years of data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS 1998-2003, unweighted n = 50,245, weighted n = 129,506) were used in multivariate models controlling for sociodemographic factors, case complexity, and hospital characteristics. Additional analyses were conducted using the Area Resource File, which provided data on ethnic density and number of surgical hospitals in the hospital region.

RESULTS

Blacks/African Americans (odds ratio [OR] = 0.45; 0.34-0.58) and Latinos (OR = 0.44; 0.32-0.63) had lower odds of obtaining lung resection at a high-volume hospital than non-Hispanic whites. Blacks/African Americans (OR = 1.30; 1.01-1.67), Latinos (OR = 1.41; 1.02-1.94), and other racial/ethnic minorities (OR = 1.46; 1.04-2.06) also had higher odds of dying in hospital, but this association was statistically nonsignificant after controlling for hospital volume. Hospital location was not associated with lung resection procedure volume, nor did location mediate the association between ethnicity/race and hospital volume.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethnic/racial minorities are obtaining lung resection in lower volume hospitals and are more likely to die in hospital. Hospital volume is associated with higher mortality, but health insurance, segregation, and number of surgical hospitals within a county do not account for observed disparities.

Certificate of Need Regulation and Cardiac Catheterization Appropriateness After Acute Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

Certificate of need (CON) regulation was introduced to control healthcare costs and improve quality of care in part by limiting the number of facilities providing complex medical care. Our objective was to examine whether rates of appropriate cardiac catheterization after admission for acute myocardial infarction varied between states with and without CON regulation of cardiac catheterization.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed a retrospective analysis of chart-abstracted data for 137,279 Medicare patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction between 1994 and 1996 at 4179 US acute-care hospitals. Using 3-level hierarchical generalized linear modeling adjusted for patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and physician and hospital characteristics, we compared catheterization rates within 60 days of admission for states (and the District of Columbia) with (n=32) and without (n=19) CON regulation in the full cohort and stratified by catheterization appropriateness. Appropriateness was categorized as strongly, equivocally, or weakly indicated. We found CON regulation was associated with a borderline-significant lower rate of catheterization overall (45.8% versus 46.5%; adjusted risk ratio [RR] 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.00, P=0.06). After stratification by appropriateness, CON regulation was not associated with a significantly lower rate of catheterization among 63,823 patients with strong indications (49.9% versus 50.3%; adjusted RR 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.86 to 1.02, P=0.17). However, CON regulation was associated with significantly lower rates of catheterization among 65,077 patients with equivocal indication (45.0% versus 46.0%; adjusted RR 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.78 to 1.00, P=0.05) and among 8379 patients with weak indications (19.8% versus 21.8%; adjusted RR 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.98, P=0.04). Associations were weakened substantially after adjustment for hospital coronary artery bypass graft surgery or cardiac catheterization capability.

CONCLUSIONS

CON regulation was associated with modestly lower rates of equivocally and weakly indicated cardiac catheterization after admission for acute myocardial infarction, but no significant differences existed in rates of strongly indicated catheterization.