National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Access to Care (1)
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 7 of 7 Research Studies DisplayedOdlum M, Moise N, Kronish IM
Trends in poor health indicators among Black and Hispanic middle-aged and older adults in the United States, 1999-2018.
This study used records extracted from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to determine which health indicators have improved or became worse among Black and Hispanic middle-aged (45 and older) adults compared to Whites from 1999 to 2018. This data is required by the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000. A sample included of 4,856,326 participants, of them 60.9% women, mean age 60.4. During the last 20 years, Black adults showed an overall decrease showing improvement in uninsured status and physical inactivity while showing an overall increase in hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and stroke, and also the same increases and decreases in the Black-White gap. Hispanic adults showed improvement in physical inactivity and perceived poor health, while they showed overall deterioration in hypertension and diabetes. The Hispanic-White gap improved in coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, asthma, arthritis, depression and physical inactivity while it increased for diabetes, hypertension, and uninsured status.
AHRQ-funded; HS025198.
Citation: Odlum M, Moise N, Kronish IM .
Trends in poor health indicators among Black and Hispanic middle-aged and older adults in the United States, 1999-2018.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Nov 2;3(11):e2025134. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.25134..
Keywords: Elderly, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Health Status, Health Insurance, Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Chronic Conditions
Huguet N, Angier H, Hoopes MJ
Prevalence of pre-existing conditions among community health center patients before and after the Affordable Care Act.
Investigators assessed the prevalence of pre-existing conditions for community health center (CHC) patients who gained insurance coverage post-Affordable Care Act (ACA). They found that their study emphasized the high prevalence of pre-existing conditions among CHC patients and the large increase in the proportion of patients with at least one of these diagnoses post-ACA. They conclude that, given how common these conditions are, repealing pre-existing condition protections could be extremely harmful to millions of patients and would likely exacerbate health care and health disparities.
AHRQ-funded; HS024270.
Citation: Huguet N, Angier H, Hoopes MJ .
Prevalence of pre-existing conditions among community health center patients before and after the Affordable Care Act.
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 Nov-Dec;32(6):883-89. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.06.190087..
Keywords: Health Status, Chronic Conditions, Health Insurance, Policy
Biener AI, Zuvekas SH
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH
Do racial and ethnic disparities in health care use vary with health?
Researchers used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data from 2010-2014 to evaluate health care use between black-white and Hispanic-white adults. They found that there was the widest disparity in health care use in adults in excellent health between Hispanics and whites but the opposite was true for blacks and whites. Differences are attributed to health insurance coverage and access to health care overall.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Biener AI, Zuvekas SH .
Do racial and ethnic disparities in health care use vary with health?
Health Serv Res 2019 Feb;54(1):64-74. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13087..
Keywords: Access to Care, Disparities, Healthcare Utilization, Health Insurance, Health Status, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Jacobs PD, Duchovny N, Lipton BJ
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD
Changes in health status and care use after ACA expansions among the insured and uninsured.
The authors investigated average health status and use of health care following the Affordable Care Act's insurance expansion provisions in 2014, finding that Medicaid enrollees and the uninsured were both healthier in 2014 than those respective groups were in 2013, but that those with individual private insurance coverage appeared less healthy as a group.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jacobs PD, Duchovny N, Lipton BJ .
Changes in health status and care use after ACA expansions among the insured and uninsured.
Health Aff 2016 Jul;35(7):1184-8. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1539.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Policy, Health Status, Medicaid
McGuire TG, Newhouse JP, Normand SL
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas S
Assessing incentives for service-level selection in private health insurance exchanges.
The authors used MEPS data to measure plan incentives by constructing predictive ratios and by measuring incentives based on the predictability and predictiveness of various medical diagnoses. They found that, among the chronic diseases studied, plans have the greatest incentive to skimp on care for cancer, mental health, and substance abuse.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: McGuire TG, Newhouse JP, Normand SL .
Assessing incentives for service-level selection in private health insurance exchanges.
J Health Econ 2014 May;35:47-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.01.009.
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Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Health Insurance, Health Status, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Hill SC, Abdus S, Hudson JL
AHRQ Author: Hill SC, Hudson JL, Selden TM
Adults in the income range for the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion are healthier than pre-ACA enrollees.
The investigators used MEPS data to compare nondisabled adults enrolled in Medicaid prior to the ACA with two other groups: adults who were eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled in it, and adults who were in the income range for the ACA's Medicaid expansion and thus newly eligible for coverage. They found that both the newly eligible and those eligible before the ACA but not enrolled were healthier on several measures than pre-ACA enrollees. They concluded that by expanding Medicaid eligibility, states could provide coverage to millions of healthier adults as well as to millions who have chronic conditions and who need care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hill SC, Abdus S, Hudson JL .
Adults in the income range for the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion are healthier than pre-ACA enrollees.
Health Aff 2014 Apr;33(4):691-9. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0743.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Policy, Health Status, Low-Income, Medicaid, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Kirby JB, Kaneda T
AHRQ Author: Kirby JB
'Double jeopardy' measure suggests blacks and Hispanics face more severe disparities than previously indicated.
The authors proposed a new way of conceptualizing and quantifying the racial and ethnic disadvantages of uninsurance over the course of a lifetime. Their measures indicated that, compared to whites, Hispanics and blacks are more likely not only to be uninsured at any point throughout most of their lives, but also to spend more years uninsured and spend more of these uninsured years at high risk of needing medical care. They concluded that these life expectancy measures have the potential to reframe the discussion of disparities and monitor progress toward their elimination.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Kirby JB, Kaneda T .
'Double jeopardy' measure suggests blacks and Hispanics face more severe disparities than previously indicated.
Health Aff 2013 Oct;32(10):1766-72. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0434.
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Keywords: Disparities, Health Insurance, Health Status, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Uninsured