title: Access to Care and Chronic Disease Outcomes Among Medicaid-Insured Persons Versus the Uninsured.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the association between Medicaid coverage and the receipt of appropriate clinical care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the 1999 to 2012 National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys, we identified adults aged 18 to 64 years with incomes below the federal poverty level, and compared outpatient visit frequency, awareness, and control of chronic diseases between the uninsured (n = 2975) and those who had Medicaid (n = 1485).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents with Medicaid were more likely than the uninsured to have at least 1 outpatient physician visit annually, after we controlled for patient characteristics (odds ratio [OR] = 5.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.8, 6.6). Among poor persons with evidence of hypertension, Medicaid coverage was associated with greater awareness (OR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.26, 2.66) and control (OR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.32, 2.27) of their condition. Medicaid coverage was also associated with awareness of being overweight (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.67), but not with awareness or control of diabetes or hypercholesterolemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among poor adults nationally, Medicaid coverage appears to facilitate outpatient physician care and to improve blood pressure control.
authors.affiliation: Andrea S. Christopher, Danny McCormick, Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, and David H. Bor are with the Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA. S. Woolhandler and D. U. Himmelstein are also with the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY. Andrew P. Wilper is with the Department of Medicine, Boise Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boise, ID.
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Christopher
authors.affiliation: Andrea S. Christopher, Danny McCormick, Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, and David H. Bor are with the Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA. S. Woolhandler and D. U. Himmelstein are also with the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY. Andrew P. Wilper is with the Department of Medicine, Boise Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boise, ID.
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.affiliation: Andrea S. Christopher, Danny McCormick, Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, and David H. Bor are with the Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA. S. Woolhandler and D. U. Himmelstein are also with the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY. Andrew P. Wilper is with the Department of Medicine, Boise Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boise, ID.
authors.forename: Steffie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Woolhandler
authors.affiliation: Andrea S. Christopher, Danny McCormick, Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, and David H. Bor are with the Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA. S. Woolhandler and D. U. Himmelstein are also with the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY. Andrew P. Wilper is with the Department of Medicine, Boise Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boise, ID.
authors.forename: David U
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Himmelstein
authors.affiliation: Andrea S. Christopher, Danny McCormick, Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, and David H. Bor are with the Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA. S. Woolhandler and D. U. Himmelstein are also with the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY. Andrew P. Wilper is with the Department of Medicine, Boise Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boise, ID.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Bor
authors.affiliation: Andrea S. Christopher, Danny McCormick, Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, and David H. Bor are with the Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA. S. Woolhandler and D. U. Himmelstein are also with the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY. Andrew P. Wilper is with the Department of Medicine, Boise Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boise, ID.
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Wilper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult