Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2009):

African Americans in commercial HMOs more likely to delay prescription drugs and use the emergency room.

Full Abstract

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are designed to provide comprehensive health care, including primary care to their enrollees. However, HMOs deliver care through a wide variety of physician networks, settings and methods throughout the nation and in California. Minorities and individuals of lower socioeconomic status continue to disproportionately rely on the health care safety net, even when insured. Individuals enrolled in HMOs should be less likely to rely on emergency rooms and experience ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations given the focus of HMOs on centralized care through the use of a primary care provider. This policy brief uses data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2007) to examine delays in fulfilling prescribed medications, delays in obtaining needed medical care, visits to emergency rooms, and the presence of a usual source of care among insured African Americans in public and commercial HMOs. We find that African-American HMO enrollees in California are more likely to delay obtaining needed medications and use the emergency room than other racial/ethnic groups in comparable HMO plans.

Author information

Author/s: Roby, Dylan H (DH); Nicholson, Gina L (GL); Kominski, Gerald F (GF);

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Policy brief (UCLA Center for Health Policy Research) (Policy Brief UCLA Cent Health Policy Res), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Oct; vol (issue PB2009-7) : pp 1-12

Dates: Created 2009/10/20; Completed 2009/10/22;

PMID: 19842294, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/22/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Adult African Americans - statistics & numerical data Asian Americans - statistics & numerical data California Continuity of Patient Care Emergency Medical Services - utilization Emergency Service, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; utilization European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data Health Behavior - ethnology Health Care Surveys Health Maintenance Organizations - statistics & numerical data

Health Maintenance Organizations - statistics & numerical data Health Status Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data Humans Middle Aged Patient Acceptance of Health Care Prescription Drugs - therapeutic use Prescriptions Primary Health Care - utilization Private Sector Public Sector Socioeconomic Factors

Associated Chemicals: Prescription Drugs (0)

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