title: Do managed care plans' tiered networks lead to inequities in care for minority patients?
abstract: This study examined whether specialists designated as meeting efficiency thresholds in an insurance company's performance network were less likely than non-designated specialists to treat minority patients insured by that company. Claims data were used to identify patients treated by specialists. Claimants' race/ethnicity status was self-reported to the insurer at enrollment. In large part, minority patients appeared to be evenly distributed across the performance network, with the exception of Asian/Pacific Islanders, who appeared to be more likely to be treated by nondesignated physicians than by designated "good-performing" specialists.
authors.affiliation: Aetna, in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. brennant@aetna.com
authors.forename: Troyen A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Claire M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Spettell
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Roberta L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Downey
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Carrara
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008511:Medicine; D008913:Minority Groups; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013038:Specialization; D014481:United States