A decade of research on disparities in Medicare utilization: lessons for the health and health care of vulnerable men.
Medicare research has shown that there are substantial disparities by race and socioeconomic status in use of services. In this article, I review past research and discuss how findings apply specifically to vulnerable men aged 65 years or older. Six lessons from this review are identified and illustrated here. Disparities in certain measures of health are growing; to reverse this trend, substantial efforts are needed, including dissemination of information about disparities as well as testing of hypotheses regarding underlying causes.
Office of Research, Health Care Financing Administration, USA. mgornick@aol.com
Marian E
ME
Gornick
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006302:Health Services Research; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008571:Men; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology; D011203:Poverty; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014600:Utilization Review; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data