Use of preventive services by managed care enrollees: an updated perspective

Medicaid Expansions: Probing Medicaid’s Filling of the Cancer Genetic Testing and Screening Space

Cancer is the third largest source of spending for Medicaid in the United States. A working group of the American Public Health Association Genomics Forum Policy Committee reviewed 133/149 pieces of literature addressing the impact of Medicaid expansion on cancer screening and genetic testing in underserved groups and the general population. Breast and colorectal cancer screening rates improved during very early Medicaid expansion but displayed mixed improvement thereafter. Breast cancer screening rates have remained steady for Latina Medicaid enrollees; colorectal cancer screening rates have improved for African Americans. Urban areas have benefited more than rural. State programs increasingly cover BRCA1/2 and Lynch syndrome genetic testing, though testing remains underutilized in racial and ethnic groups. While increased federal matching could incentivize more states to engage in Medicaid expansion, steps need to be taken to ensure that they have an adequate distribution of resources to increase screening and testing utilization.

Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Among Medicaid Beneficiaries: The Role of Physician Payment and Managed Care

Medicaid-insured women have low rates of cancer screening. There are multiple policy levers that may influence access to preventive services such as screening, including physician payment and managed care. We examine the relationship between each of these factors and breast and cervical cancer screening among nonelderly nondisabled adult Medicaid enrollees. We combine individual-level data on Medicaid enrollment, demographics, and use of screening services from the Medicaid Analytic eXtract files with data on states' Medicaid-to-Medicare fee ratios and estimate their impact on screening services. Higher physician fees are associated with greater screening for comprehensive managed care enrollees; for enrollees in fee-for-service Medicaid, the findings are mixed. Patient participation in primary care case management is a significant moderator of the relationship between physician fees and the rate of screening, as interactions between enrollee primary care case management status and the Medicaid fee ratio are consistently positive across models of screening.

Impact of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) on opioid utilization among Medicare beneficiaries in 10 US States

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are a principal strategy used in the United States to address prescription drug abuse. We (1) compared opioid use pre- and post-PDMP implementation and (2) estimated differences of PDMP impact by reason for Medicare eligibility and plan type.

DESIGN

Analysis of opioid prescription claims in US states that implemented PDMPs relative to non-PDMP states during 2007-12.

SETTING

Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Vermont, Georgia, Wisconsin, Maryland, New Hampshire and Arkansas, USA.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 310 105 disabled and older adult Medicare enrolees.

MEASUREMENTS

Primary outcomes were monthly total opioid volume, mean daily morphine milligram equivalent (MME) dose per prescription and number of opioid prescriptions dispensed. The key predictors were PDMP status and time. Tests for moderation examined PDMP impact by Medicare eligibility (disability versus age) and drug plan [privately provided Medicare Advantage (MAPD) versus fee-for-service (PDP)].

FINDINGS

Overall, PDMP implementation was associated with reduced opioid volume [-2.36 kg/month, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -3.44, -1.28] and no changes in mean MMEs or opioid prescriptions 12 months after implementation compared with non-PDMP states. We found evidence of strong moderation effects. In PDMP states, estimated monthly opioid volumes decreased 1.67 kg (95% CI = -2.38, -0.96) and 0.75 kg (95% CI = -1.32, -0.18) among disabled and older adults, respectively, and 1.2 kg, regardless of plan type. MME reductions were 3.73 mg/prescription (95% CI = -6.22, -1.24) in disabled and 3.02 mg/prescription (95% CI = -3.86, -2.18) in MAPD beneficiaries, but there were no changes in older adults and PDP beneficiaries. Dispensed prescriptions increased 259/month (95% CI = 39, 479) among the disabled and decreased 610/month (95% CI = -953, -257) among MAPD beneficiaries.

CONCLUSIONS

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are associated with reductions in opioid use, measured by volume, among disabled and older adult Medicare beneficiaries in the United States compared with states that do not have PDMPs. PDMP impact on daily doses and daily prescriptions varied by reason for eligibility and plan type. These findings cannot be generalized beyond the 10 US states studied.

Assessing PPO Performance on Prevention and Population Health

This article compares preferred provider organization (PPO) and health maintenance organization (HMO) performance on the utilization of and consumer satisfaction with preventive care. Surveys were conducted of California health plans, employers, and the insured population collected between 1996 and 1999. The authors found that PPOs were less likely than HMOs to cover some types of preventive care. PPO enrollees were less likely than HMO enrollees to receive blood pressure and mammography screenings or preventive counseling on gun safety, smoking, and sexually transmitted disease or HIV prevention. PPO enrollees were less satisfied with preventive care than HMOs enrollees. The authors concluded that there are significant differences between the rates at which preventive care is delivered in PPOs and HMOs, which can be understood in the context of PPO benefit plan design, and differences in their structural and financial characteristics. This suggests specific strategies through which it might be possible to improve preventive health care and promote population health among employees enrolled in PPOs.

Assessing PPO Performance on Prevention and Population Health

This article compares preferred provider organization (PPO) and health maintenance organization (HMO) performance on the utilization of and consumer satisfaction with preventive care. Surveys were conducted of California health plans, employers, and the insured population collected between 1996 and 1999. The authors found that PPOs were less likely than HMOs to cover some types of preventive care. PPO enrollees were less likely than HMO enrollees to receive blood pressure and mammography screenings or preventive counseling on gun safety, smoking, and sexually transmitted disease or HIV prevention. PPO enrollees were less satisfied with preventive care than HMOsenrollees. The authors concluded that there are significant differences between the rates at which preventive care is delivered in PPOs and HMOs, which can be understood in the context of PPO benefit plan design, and differences in their structural and financial characteristics. This suggests specific strategies through which it might be possible to improve preventive health care and promote population health among employees enrolled in PPOs.

Health Promotion Interventions for Low-Income Californians Through Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans, 2012

Introduction

Prevention is the most cost-effective approach to promote population health, yet little is known about the delivery of health promotion interventions in the nation’s largest Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. The purpose of this study was to inventory health promotion interventions delivered through Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans; identify attributes of the interventions that plans judged to have the greatest impact on their members; and determine the extent to which the plans refer members to community assistance programs and sponsor health-promoting community activities.

Methods

The lead health educator from each managed care plan was asked to complete a 190-item online survey in January 2013; 20 of 21 managed care plans responded. Survey data on the health promotion interventions with the greatest impact were grouped according to intervention attributes and measures of effectiveness; quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results

Health promotion interventions judged to have the greatest impact on Medi-Cal members were delivered in various ways; educational materials, one-on-one education, and group classes were delivered most frequently. Behavior change, knowledge gain, and improved disease management were cited most often as measures of effectiveness. Across all interventions, median educational hours were limited (2.4 h), and median Medi-Cal member participation was low (265 members per intervention). Most interventions with greatest impact (120 of 137 [88%]) focused on tertiary prevention. There were mixed results in referring members to community assistance programs and investing in community activities.

Conclusion

Managed care plans have many opportunities to more effectively deliver health promotion interventions. Establishing measurable, evidence-based, consensus standards for such programs could facilitate improved delivery of these services.

The effect of reimbursement on medical decision making: do physicians alter treatment in response to a managed care incentive?

The empirical literature that explores whether physicians respond to financial incentives has not definitively answered the question of whether physicians alter their treatment behavior at the margin. Previous research has not been able to distinguish that part of a physician response that uniformly alters treatment of all patients under a physician's care from that which affects some, but not all of a physician's patients. To explore physicians' marginal responses to financial incentives while accounting for the selection of physicians into different financial arrangements where others could not, I use data from a survey of physician visits to isolate the effect that capitation, a form of reimbursement wherein physicians receive zero marginal revenue for a range of physician provided services, has on the care provided by a physician. Fixed effects regression results reveal that physicians spend less time with their capitated patients than with their non-capitated patients.

Is the type of Medicare insurance associated with colorectal cancer screening prevalence and selection of screening strategy?

BACKGROUND

Medicare managed care (MMC) plans may be better positioned to deliver preventive services than fee-for-service (FFS) insurers. We assessed whether beneficiaries in MMC plans were more likely than those in traditional FFS insurance to receive colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and whether type of insurance was associated with use of specific screening strategies.

METHODS

We studied 10,173 respondents to the 2000 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey representing 24,394,204 US Medicare beneficiaries. We identified 4 CRC screening strategies: (1) interval-appropriate screening, (2) fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) within the past 2 years, (3) colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy within the past 5 years, and (4) primary invasive screening (interval-appropriate colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy without FOBT). Using a propensity score model to adjust for the nonrandom selection of insurance based on sociodemographic characteristics and other respondent-reported "care-seeking" variables, we compared the adjusted percentage of MMC and FFS beneficiaries screened using each CRC screening strategy.

RESULTS

In this sample, 21.6% of Medicare beneficiaries were continuously enrolled in MMC, 61.3% had FFS with supplemental insurance, and 17.1% had FFS coverage alone. Just over 51% of beneficiaries received interval-appropriate CRC screening. Interval-appropriate CRC screening was reported by 54.7% in FFS with supplemental insurance, 52.9% in MMC, and 36.3.% in the FFS group without supplemental insurance (P < 0.001). Use of the FOBT strategy was more common in MMC compared with FFS with or without supplemental insurance. Adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and care-seeking propensity had a sizable impact on differences in screening prevalence, but did not substantially alter the conclusions.

CONCLUSIONS

In 2000, the type of Medicare insurance was associated with differences in the prevalence of interval-appropriate CRC screening with lower prevalence among FFS beneficiaries who lacked supplemental insurance. Although managed care did not produce more CRC screening than supplemental insurance, managed care plans seem to have encouraged FOBT testing over other strategies.

Racial and ethnic differences in receipt of primary care services between medicaid fee-for-service and managed care plans

We used a cross-sectional, population-based sample of Medicaid beneficiaries aged 18-64 to determine whether managed care enrollment was associated with reduced racial/ethnic disparities in self-reported access to primary care services compared with fee-for-service. Managed care beneficiaries reported greater access in each racial/ethnic category and for each outcome than did fee-for-service beneficiaries, although associations were not always statistically significant. Racial/ethnic minorities enrolled in managed care plans reported as much benefit from managed care enrollment as did whites. Within Medicaid, interventions aimed at the health insurance delivery model can facilitate increased access to primary care services without enhancing racial/ethnic disparities.

The effects of managed care and competition on community-based clinical research

BACKGROUND

The National Institutes of Health is developing practice-based clinical research networks (PBRNs) to expedite the pace of scientific discovery and improve care quality. Anecdotal evidence suggests managed care penetration and provider competition negatively affect PBRN clinical research.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of environmental factors on clinical research performance in the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP).

RESEARCH DESIGN

This study examined 49 CCOPs in 34 states using longitudinal (1991-2001) generalized least-squares regression including fixed effects, using secondary data from the National Cancer Institute, Group Health Association of America, InterStudy, American Hospital Association, Area Resource Files, and the Current Population Survey.

MEASURES

Performance was measured as CCOP-level accrual in treatment trials, cancer prevention and control (CP/C) trials, and all trials combined. HMO penetration served as a proxy for managed care penetration. Competition measures included both hospital competition and physician competition.

RESULTS

Managed care penetration was positively associated with accrual in areas of low to moderate penetration and negative in the areas of high penetration. Compared with areas with 5% penetration, areas with 15% penetration had 21% more treatment accrual and 66% more CP/C accrual. Compared with areas with 40% penetration, areas with 50% penetration had 11% lower treatment accrual and 3% lower CP/C accrual. CP/C accrual was more positively affected than treatment accrual. Greater hospital competition was associated with a decline in trial enrollment.

CONCLUSIONS

The healthcare environment appears to have a significant effect on accrual into community-based cancer treatment and CP/C clinical trials. Findings for treatment and CP/C accrual suggest each type of accrual is distinct and requires different strategies and administrative methods.

Results of a randomized controlled trial to increase colorectal cancer screening in a managed care health plan

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer deaths; however, rates of regular screening for this cancer are low. A quality improvement (QI) program to increase CRC screening was developed for use in a managed care health plan.

METHODS

Thirty-six provider organizations (POs) contracting with the health plan were recruited for a randomized controlled effectiveness trial testing the QI program. The intervention was delivered over a 2-year period, and its effectiveness was assessed by chart review of a random sample of patients from each PO.

RESULTS

Thirty-two of the 36 POs were evaluable for outcome assessment. During the 2-year intervention period, only 26% of the eligible patients received any CRC screening test. Twenty-nine percent of patients had any CRC screening test within guidelines, with no differences between the intervention or control POs. Significant predictors of having received CRC screening within guidelines were older age (P = 0.0004), receiving care in an integrated medical group (P < 0.0001) and having had a physical examination within the past 2 years (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

A facilitated QI intervention program for CRC screening that focused on the PO did not increase rates of CRC screening. Overall CRC screening rates are low and are in need of improvement.

Do HMO market level factors lead to racial/ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer screening? A comparison between high-risk Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and high-risk whites

BACKGROUND

Few studies have explored health care market structure and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test use, and little is known whether market factors contribute to racial/ethnic screening disparities.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether HMO market level factors, controlling for individual covariates, differentially impact Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) subjects' access to CRC screening compared with white subjects.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We used random intercept hierarchical models to predict CRC test use. Individual-level survey data was linked to market data by metropolitan statistical areas from InterStudy.

SUBJECTS

Insured first-degree relatives, ages 40-80, of a random sample of colorectal cancer cases identified from the California Cancer Registry: 515 white subjects and 396 AAPI subjects residing in 36 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

MEASURES

Dependent variables were receipt of (1) annual fecal occult blood test only; (2) sigmoidoscopy in the past 5 years; (3) colonoscopy in the past 10 years; and (4) any of these tests over the recommended time interval. Market characteristics were HMO penetration, HMO competition, and proportion of staff/group/network HMOs.

FINDINGS

Market characteristics were as important as individual-level characteristics for AAPI but not for white subjects. Among AAPI subjects, a 10% increase in the percent of group/staff/network model HMO was associated with a reduction in colonoscopy use (28.9% to 20.5%) and in receipt of any of the CRC tests (53.2% to 45.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevailing organizational structure of a health care market confers a penalty on access to CRC test use among high-risk AAPI subjects but not among high-risk white subjects. Identifying the differential effect of market structure on race/ethnicity can potentially reduce the cancer burden among disadvantaged racial groups.

Toward a system of cancer screening in the United States: trends and opportunities

The hard work of public health officials, physicians, and disease advocacy groups to educate Americans about the importance of early detection has resulted in uptake of screening tests at levels equivalent to or higher than in countries with organized cancer screening programs. However, the societal costs of high screening rates are larger in the United States than in other countries, including higher prices for screening, more unnecessary testing, and inefficiencies in delivery, especially in small practices. Further, screening rates are not evenly distributed across population groups, and the national expenditure on clinical and community research to promote cancer screening among individuals has not been matched by research efforts that focus on policy or clinical systems to increase screening widely throughout the population. We identify opportunities for organizational change that improve access to use, improve quality, and promote cost effectiveness in cancer screening delivery.

Who are the elderly who never receive influenza immunization?

OBJECTIVE

This paper estimates the rates of lifetime nonreceipt of influenza immunization among elderly and examines variations in the lifetime nonreceipt of immunization by gender, race and ethnic group, socioeconomic status, access to health care, and health status.

METHODS

Cross-sectional, nationally representative data on 5557 adults older than 50 years of age and living in the community from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey are used. Lifetime nonreceipt of influenza immunization was analyzed with bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques.

FINDINGS

Thirty-one percent of the elderly reported never receiving influenza immunization and 20% reported irregular immunization. Higher odds of lifetime nonreceipt of vaccination and irregular vaccination were seen among African-Americans, young-old, current smokers, and those with no usual source of care.

CONCLUSIONS

Future campaigns to increase immunization rates should be tailored to target this hard-to-reach group of individuals.

Insurance Policies and Perceived Quality of Primary Care Among Privately Insured Patients

CONTEXT

Little is known about whether some features of managed care widen disparities in patients' evaluations of primary care.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated whether the magnitudes of racial and ethnic/language-based differences in patients' evaluations of the quality of primary care vary by capitation and gatekeeping.

DESIGN

We used a telephone survey of a representative sample of the US noninstitutionalized population, Community Tracking Study Household Survey 1998-1999, and Followback Survey of respondents' insurance administrators.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Our sample was privately insured adults who saw a physician at least once during the year preceding the interview and whose last visit was to a primary care physician.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We measured patients' evaluations of (1) how well the physician listened, (2) how well the physician explained, and (3) how thorough and careful the physician was during the last visit.

RESULTS

Significant white-minority differences emerge more often in plans using capitation or gatekeeping than in other plans. The gaps in patients' evaluations of their primary care providers' (PCP) explanations and thoroughness between whites and Hispanics interviewed in English are larger when the PCP is capitated than when the PCP is not capitated. The gap in the evaluations of their PCP's explanations by whites and Hispanics interviewed in English is larger in plans that require referrals for specialist visits than in other plans. The magnitude of racial and ethnic/language-based gaps for Hispanics interviewed in Spanish, blacks, and Native American/Asian/Pacific Islanders do not differ by capitation and gatekeeping.

CONCLUSION

English-speaking Hispanics' perceptions of the quality of primary care may be more dissimilar from whites' when capitation or gatekeeping are used than when these policies are not used.

Moving beyond the typologies of managed care: the example of health plan predictors of screening mammography

OBJECTIVES

To develop a framework of factors to characterize health plans, to identify how plan characteristics were measured in a national survey, and to apply our findings to an analysis of the predictors of screening mammography.

DATA SOURCE

The primary data were from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

STUDY DESIGN

Women ages 40+, with private insurance, and no history of breast cancer were included in the study (N = 2,909). We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate mammography utilization in the past two years relative to health plan and demographic factors. Health plan measures included whether there is a defined provider network, whether coverage is restricted to a network, use of gatekeepers, level of cost containment, copayment and deductible amounts, coinsurance rate, and breadth of benefit coverage.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We found no significant difference in reported mammography utilization using a dichotomous comparison of individuals enrolled in managed care versus indemnity plans. However, women in health plans with a defined provider network were more likely to report having received a mammogram in the past two years than those without networks (adjusted OR= 1.21, 95 percent CI = 1.07-1.36), and women in gatekeeper plans were more likely to report receiving mammography than those without gatekeepers (adjusted OR = 1.18, 95 percent CI = 1.03-1.36). Restricted out-of-network coverage, use of cost containment, enrollee cost sharing, and breadth of benefit coverage did not appear to affect mammography use.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important to examine the effect of individual health plan components on the utilization of health care, rather than use the traditional broader categorizations of managed versus nonmanaged care or simple health plan typologies.

Are gatekeeper requirements associated with cancer screening utilization?

OBJECTIVE

There is widespread debate over whether health plans should require enrollees to use "gatekeepers," which are primary care providers that coordinate care and control access to specialists. However, little is known about whether health plan gatekeeper requirements improve or reduce quality-of-care. Our objective was to examine whether gatekeeper requirements are associated with the utilization of cancer screening for breast, cervical, and prostate cancer.

DATA SOURCES

Three linked sources (N = 13,534): (1) 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) Household Survey, a nationally representative, ongoing survey sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; (2) 1996 MEPS Health Insurance Plan Abstraction, which codes data from health plan booklets obtained from privately insured respondents, and (3) 1995 National Health Interview Survey.

STUDY DESIGN/DATA COLLECTION

Cross-sectional, multivariate logistic regression analysis using secondary data.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We found in multivariate analyses that women in gatekeeper plans were significantly more likely to obtain mammography screening (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.22, 95 percent Confidence Interval [CI] 1.07-1.40), clinical breast examinations (OR = 1.39, 95 percent CI 1.23-1.57), and Pap smears (OR = 1.33, 95 percent CI 1.16-1.52) than women not in gatekeeper plans. In contrast, gatekeeper requirements were not associated with prostate cancer screening (OR = 1.11, 95 percent CI 0.93-1.33). We found no association between screening utilization and aggregate plan types (HMO, POS, PPO, FFS).

CONCLUSIONS

Gatekeeper requirements are associated with higher utilization of widely recommended cancer screening procedures, but not with utilization of a less uniformly recommended cancer screening procedure. Researchers should consider the analysis of specific plan characteristics rather than aggregate plan types in conducting future research, and insurers and policymakers should consider the potential benefits of gatekeepers with respect to preventive care when designing health plans and legislation.

Preventive care: female cancer screening, 1996-2000

BACKGROUND

Low-income and uninsured women have lower odds of receiving age-appropriate cancer screens that can detect cancers earlier and reduce morbidity/mortality. A key question is whether federal/state public health programs aimed at increasing screening and other public policies (e.g., welfare reform, managed care) have affected their receipt of these preventive services.

METHODS

Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used to estimate the effects of public programs, income, and insurance status on the odds that women received mammography, clinical breast examination (CBE), or Papanicolaou (Pap) smears from 1996 to 2000. State fixed-effects models are estimated. Effects of the age (measured in years) of states' National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Programs (NBCCEDPs) and level of federal funding are presented.

RESULTS

Adjusted odds of uninsured women reporting female cancer screens were lower than for those privately insured, and did not change between 1996 and 2000 despite welfare reform and increasing numbers of uninsured. The age of states' NBCCEDPs were associated with increased odds of mammography, CBE, and Pap smear screens for non-elderly women. For example, the aging of a state's program from 0 to 5 years was associated with an increase in the percentage of women receiving mammography from 52.7% to 55.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite efforts to increase screening among low-income uninsured women, their average rates remain below those with higher incomes and/or insurance. However, initiation and maintenance of the states' NBCCEDPs over long periods is associated with increased screening. After accounting for program age, increased federal dollars are associated with slight increases in screening for women aged >65.

Racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and access disparities in the use of preventive services among women

BACKGROUND

In this article we estimate the variations in receipt of age-appropriate preventive services among adult women between 21 and 64 years of age, by race and ethnic group, socioeconomic status, and access to health care. We also assess whether differences in access to care and socioeconomic status may explain racial and ethnic differences in the use of preventive services.

METHOD

Nationally representative data on adult women from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey were used to estimate the effect of socioeconomic characteristics on the receipt of each preventive service. Receipt of each of four preventive services-cholesterol test, blood pressure reading, and two cancer screening tests (Papanicolaou smear, mammogram)-according to the 1996 recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force were examined.

RESULTS

An overwhelming majority of adult women (93%) had had a blood pressure reading within the last 2 years. Eighty-four percent of women had had their cholesterol checked within the last 5 years. Seventy-five percent of women had received a mammogram and 80% received Pap tests. College education, high income, usual source of care, and health insurance consistently predicted use of preventive services. These factors also explained ethnic disparities in the receipt of preventive services between Latinas and white women.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from our study are encouraging because only a minority of women do not receive age-appropriate preventive services. However, low socioeconomic status, lack of insurance, and lack of a usual source of care represent significant barriers to preventive care for adult women.

Association between health insurance coverage of office visit and cancer screening among women

BACKGROUND

Little is known regarding the nuances of insurance benefit design that may affect the receipt of clinical preventive services.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether differences in insurance coverage of physician office visits influences the receipt of cancer screening in women who have full coverage for the screening services.

DESIGN

Cohort study of women enrolled in fee-for-service (FFS) or Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) health plans, where FFS plans have less generous office visit coverage, for the period 1995 to 1997.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

General Motors Corporation's employees and their dependents.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Papanicolaou and mammography rates in women aged 21 to 64 years (n = 139,294) and 52 to 64 years (n = 56,554), respectively.

RESULTS

Compared with FFS plans, enrollees in PPO plans were significantly more likely to obtain a Papanicolaou smear and mammogram (adjusted relative risk [RRa] = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.24; and RRa, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.15-1.18, respectively). The association was more pronounced among hourly individuals (RRa, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.26-1.29 for Papanicolaou smears; RRa, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.16-1.19 for mammograms) than among salaried individuals (RRa, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.08-1.12 for Papanicolaou smears and RRa, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.06-1.12 for mammograms), corresponding to a greater differential in office visit coverage among the hourly group.

CONCLUSIONS

Benefit structure appears to have an important effect on receipt of cancer screening in women. The findings highlight the need to ensure that future reforms of the health care system do not adversely affect the use of preventive services.

Effect of managed care insurance on the use of preventive care for specific ethnic groups in the United States

BACKGROUND

Ethnic disparities in access to health care is a persistent problem in the US. Despite the broad implementation of managed care, there is little information that specifically addresses how this type of coverage may affect ethnic disparities.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the effect of managed care insurance on the use of preventive care for different ethnic groups.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Observational cohort using the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

SUBJECTS

Adults with health insurance who report their ethnicity as white, black, Hispanic, or Asian/Pacific Islander.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

(1) Mammography within the past 2 years for women between 50 and 75 years of age; (2) clinical breast exam within the past 2 years for women between 40 and 75 years; (3) Papanicolaou smear within the past 2 years for women between 18 and 65 years; and (4) cholesterol screening within the past 5 years for men and women older than the age of 20 years.

RESULTS

Hispanic people enrolled in a managed care plan report higher rates of mammography, breast exam, and Papanicolaou smear compared with Hispanic people with fee-for-service insurance. For example, the adjusted predicted probability of a mammogram for Hispanic women with managed care was 85.6% compared with 72.4% for Hispanic women with fee-for-service coverage (risk difference: 13.2%; 95% CI for the risk difference 0.7%-25.7%). White persons with managed care are also more likely than white persons with fee-for-service coverage to receive mammography and cholesterol screening. Managed care is not associated with less preventive care for any ethnic group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationally representative household survey, it was found that managed care is associated with greater use of some preventive care for Hispanic persons and white persons than fee-for-service insurance. Despite a focus on prevention, the benefits of managed care are not apparent for black persons or Asian/Pacific Islanders.

Receipt of preventive services among privately insured minorities in managed care versus fee-for-service insurance plans

OBJECTIVE

We compare preventive services utilization among privately insured African Americans and Hispanics in managed care organizations (MCOs) versus fee-for-service (FFS) plans. We also examine racial/ethnic disparities in the receipt of preventive services among enrollees in FFS or MCO plans.

DESIGN

Analysis of the nationally representative 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants included 1,120 Hispanic, 929 African-American, and 6,383 non-Hispanic white (NHW) adults age 18 to 64 years with private health insurance.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

We examined self-reported receipt of physical examination, blood pressure measurement, cholesterol assessment, Papanicolau testing, screening mammography, and breast and prostate examinations. Multivariate modeling was used to adjust for age, gender, education, household income, and health status. Hispanics in MCOs were more likely than their FFS counterparts to report having preventive services, with adjusted differences ranging from 5 to 19 percentage points (P <.05 for physical examination, blood pressure measurement, breast examination and Pap smear). Among African Americans, such patterns were of a smaller magnitude. In both MCOs and FFS plans the proportion of African Americans reporting preventive services was equal to or greater than NHWs. In contrast, among Hispanic women in FFS, a non-statistically significant trend of fewer cancer screening tests than NHW's was observed (Pap smears 75% vs 80%; mammograms 66% vs 74%, respectively). In both MCO and FFS plans, Hispanics were less likely than NHWs to report having blood pressure and cholesterol measurement (P <.05).

CONCLUSIONS

With the demise of traditional MCOs, reform efforts should incorporate those aspects of MCOs that were associated with greater preventive service utilization, particularly among Hispanics. Existing ethnic disparities warrant further attention.

National quality monitoring of Medicare health plans: the relationship between enrollees' reports and the quality of clinical care

BACKGROUND

The clinical quality of health plans varies. The associations between different measures of health plan quality are incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationships between enrollee reports on the quality of health plans as measured by the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Study (CAHPS 2.0) survey and the clinical quality of care measured by the Medicare Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS).

DESIGN

Observational cohort study.

SAMPLE

National sample of 233 Medicare health plans that reported data using the CAHPS 2.0 survey and Medicare HEDIS during 1998.

MEASURES

Five composite measures and four ratings derived from the CAHPS survey and six measures of clinical quality from Medicare HEDIS.

RESULTS

Two composite measures ("getting needed care" and "health plan information and customer service") were significantly associated with most of the HEDIS clinical quality measures. The proportion of enrollees having a personal doctor was also significantly associated with rates of mammography, eye exams for diabetics, beta-blocker use after myocardial infarction, and follow-up after mental health hospitalization. Enrollees' ratings of health plan care were less consistently associated with HEDIS performance. In multivariable analyses, the measure of health plan communication ("health plan information and customer service") was the most consistent predictor of HEDIS performance.

CONCLUSIONS

The pattern of associations we observed among some of the measures suggests that the CAHPS survey and HEDIS are complementary quality monitoring strategies. Our results suggest that health plans that provide better access and customer service also provide better clinical care.

Barriers to care among racial/ethnic groups under managed care

We describe barriers to care reported by racial/ethnic groups and explore the extent to which barriers vary between persons enrolled in managed care and those in non-managed care plans, using data from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Most respondents expressed satisfaction with their care; however, a substantial percentage reported experiencing barriers. Minorities, particularly Hispanics and Asian Americans, were more likely than non-Hispanic whites were to report barriers. Managed care enrollees across racial/ethnic groups faced different types of barriers than non-managed care enrollees did. Although managed care enrollees were more likely to report having a usual source of care and greater continuity of care, they also reported more difficulties obtaining care and less satisfaction with their care.