title: The impact of health insurance on an African-American population with colorectal cancer.
abstract: This study evaluates the impact of health insurance as a substitute for social class on tumor location, presentation, stage, grade, and age-adjusted survival in an African-American population. Patients were stratified by insurance into two groups: group 1 (private insurance and Medicare parts A & B) and group 2 (Medicaid, Medical Charity, self-pay, uninsured, or unemployed). A total of 212 patients were evaluated. Of these, 210 patients were insured or had Medical Charity, and two were uninsured. The type of health insurance did not significantly affect age-adjusted survival. However, age and stage at presentation were positive predictors of age-adjusted survival. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with group 1 health insurance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Howard University Cancer Center, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Dawkins
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Laing
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Smoot
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perlin
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Tuckson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D004219:District of Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012923:Social Class; D015996:Survival Rate; D001741:Black or African American