Managed Care Penetration and the Use of Screening Mammography by Uninsured Women
Abstract
Between 1991 and 1997, the rate of mammography among uninsured women decreased in 30% of states. This decline may be due to the influx of managed care in many communities, which has eroded the ability of uninsured women to receive primary care, reduced the availability of mammography facilities, and increased waiting times for mammography. In this study, we examined whether there was an association between managed care penetration and rates of mammography among uninsured women between 50 and 64 years of age. We compared these rates to mammography rates for women aged 50 - 69 with private or public coverage, including Medicare. To examine these hypotheses, we conducted a longitudinal study using data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and InterStudy for the years 1997 to 2000. Based on results from longitudinal models of mammography use on managed care penetration, we found that managed care penetration had no significant effect on mammography use for women, regardless of their insurance status. The results of our study suggest that the financial incentives created by managed care in a market do not lead to a reduction in service use. Furthermore, our results suggest that the reduction in the number of mammography providers found in earlier research does not threaten access to mammography.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA420341
Entities
People
- Pushkal P. Garg
Organizations
- Harvard Medical School