title: The use of prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis: a comparison of rates in prepaid group practices and the general population.
abstract: To determine whether the reduction in services associated with prepaid group practice is indiscriminate or limited to medically "discretionary" services, the author compared the utilization rates for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis (a medically indicated service for women aged 35 and older) in prepaid group practices and the geographically corresponding populations-at-large in four settings. The utilization rates by members of the prepaid group practices were equal to rate calculated for the geographically correspondings populations-at-large in two settings, and 2.3 times greater in the other settings. Whatever factors which may be responsible for the reduction of discretionary services delivered to members of prepaid group practices do not appear to interfere with the delivery of a strongly indicated service, prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis, in the population at risk.
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D003582:Cytogenetics; D003954:Diagnostic Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006123:Group Practice; D006125:Group Practice, Prepaid; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City; D009922:Oregon; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000191:economics*; D014861:Washington