Quality of care for women undergoing a hysterectomy: effects of insurance and race/ethnicity.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the quality of hospital care for women who underwent a hysterectomy to compare Medicaid-covered women with privately insured women and minority women with White women.


METHODS
We evaluated medical decisions, inpatient care, quality of inpatient care, and outcomes.


RESULTS
Quality of hospital care was equivalent for Medicaid-covered women compared with privately insured women and for non-Hispanic Black women compared with White women. Medicaid-covered women (40%) and Black women (68%) were more likely to have a complication compared with privately insured women and White women, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased complications after hysterectomy may result in increased economic burdens to Medicaid. Further studies of the racial/ethnic and sociodemographic issues are needed so that disparities may be adequately addressed.
Centers for Medicare and Medcaid Services, Baltimore, MD, USA. hakim.rosemarie@epa.gov
Rosemarie B
RB
Hakim
M Beth
MB
Benedict
Nancy J
NJ
Merrick
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology; D002140:California; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006302:Health Services Research; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics*; D008824:Michigan; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D017149:Private Sector / Q000191:economics; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D014600:Utilization Review; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology*