Use of preventive services by men enrolled in Medicare+Choice plans.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the effect of demographic and socioeconomic factors on use of preventive services (prostate-specific antigen testing, colorectal cancer screening, and influenza vaccination) among elderly men enrolled in 2 Medicare+Choice health plans.


METHODS
Data were derived from administrative files and a survey of 1915 male enrollees. We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the effects of enrollee characteristics on preventive service use.


RESULTS
Age, marital status, educational attainment, and household wealth were associated with receipt of one or more preventive services. However, the effects of these variables were substantially attenuated relative to earlier studies of Medicare.


CONCLUSIONS
Some Medicare HMOs have been successful in attenuating racial and socioeconomic disparities in the use of preventive services by older men.
Morales
Leo S
LS
RAND Health, 1700 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90407, USA. morales@rand.org
Rogowski
Jeannette
J
Freedman
Vicki A
VA
Wickstrom
Steven L
SL
Adams
John L
JL
Escarce
José J
JJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen