Factors affecting reduction of gender differences in health care coverage for vocational rehabilitation clients with disabilities.
BACKGROUND
Uninsured women with disabilities experience serious difficulties in accessing quality health care. Employment improves an individual's ability to access health insurance. The aim of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR) is to improve employment abilities for people with disabilities.


OBJECTIVE
To examine gender differences in health insurance coverage for people who access VR and the factors that influence health insurance coverage for people with disabilities.


METHODS
The study analyzed VR case management data from 617,149 cases that were closed by VR in 2006 in the United States. Chi-square and t-tests were used to examine gender differences and multivariate analysis was used to assess factors that influence health insurance coverage.


RESULTS
The study found significant gender differences in access to VR employment-enhancing services and in insurance coverage. Women were more dependent on coverage from public sources.


CONCLUSIONS
VR can improve health insurance coverage but is more effective with men than with women.
Mwachofi
Ari
A
Department of Health Administration and Policy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, College of Public Health, 801 NE 13th Street, CHB 351, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. amwachof@ouhsc.edu
Heinemann
Allen W
AW
Al-Assaf
Al
A
D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data