Moon S, Chung K; AcademyHealth. Meeting (2003 : Nashville, Tenn.).

Abstr AcademyHealth Meet. 2003; 20: abstract no. 412.

Tennessee State University, Institute of Government, 330 10th Avenue North, Suite F1, Nashville, TN 37203 Tel. (615) 963-7255 Fax (615) 963-7245

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This paper compares health care expenditures, health statuses, and service utilization patterns of dual eligibles (e.g., persons having both Medicare and Medicaid) and Medicare Only beneficiaries who are either Afro-American or white recipients. STUDY DESIGN: Total health expenditure information is from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 1998 public use files. The source data presented information relative to total health care expenditures of Afro-Americans and whites who were either dual eligibles or Medicare Only beneficiaries. Service utilization, both in terms of health status and service site (e.g., inpatient, outpatient, emergency settings) also was examined. The dependent variables are health care expenditures and service utilization (e.g., volume of patient visits generated from different types of chronic illnesses and service sites). The independent variable is racial differences in public insurance coverage, i.e., dual eligibility or Medicare Only. POPULATION STUDIED: Dual eligibles (e.g., persons having both Medicare and Medicaid) and Medicare Only beneficiaries who are either Afro-American or white recipients were examined. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A test of the health care expenditure sample means of Afro-American and white dual eligibles showed that Afro-American expenditures were significantly higher than their white beneficiaries, e.g., $11,139.33 versus $9,052.58; a = .05 and Z calculated = 149.80. Chi-square tests were performed using health status and service utilization data, with public insurance status being held constant in each case. The results showed that the proportion of Afro-American dual eligibles with chronic health conditions was 47% versus 40% for the white beneficiaries or 7% higher. Inpatient facility expenditure was $4142.92 for Afro-American dual eligibles and $3040.80 or $1102.12 higher for white beneficiaries with statistical significance at the 5% level. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that health care expenditures are higher for Afro-American dual eligibles than white dual eligibles. Also, the higher prevalence of multiple chronic health conditions among Afro-American beneficiaries appears to be supporting the higher expenditure levels. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY, DELIVERY OR PRACTICE: In the Medicare program, a scheduled provision of coordinated care would be better in controlling high costs incurred by Afro-American dual eligibles, compared with the white or Medicare Only counterparts, particulary among those who have multiple chronic illnesses.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• African Americans
• Data Collection
• Eligibility Determination
• European Continental Ancestry Group
• Health Expenditures
• Health Services
• Health Services Accessibility
• Health Status
• Humans
• Insurance Coverage
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• economics
• hsrmtgs

Other ID:

• GWHSR0003710

UI: 102275389

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