TY - JOUR
T1 - Socioeconomic status and medical care expenditures in medicare managed care
AU - Kapur, Kanika
AU - Rogowski, Jeannette A.
AU - Freedman, Vicki A.
AU - Wickstrom, Steven L.
AU - Adams, John L.
AU - Escarce, José J.
PY - 2006/11
Y1 - 2006/11
N2 - This study examined the effects of education, income, and wealth on medical care expenditures in two Medicare managed care plans. The study also sought to elucidate the pathways through which socioeconomic status (SES) affects expenditures, including preferences for health and medical care and ability to navigate the managed care system. We found that education, income, and wealth all affected medical care expenditures, although the effects of these variables differed across expenditure categories. Moreover, the effects of these SES variables were much smaller than the effects found in earlier studies of fee-for-service Medicare. The pathway variables also were associated with expenditures. Accounting for the pathways through which SES affects expenditures narrowed the effect of SES on expenditures; however, the change in the estimates was very small.
AB - This study examined the effects of education, income, and wealth on medical care expenditures in two Medicare managed care plans. The study also sought to elucidate the pathways through which socioeconomic status (SES) affects expenditures, including preferences for health and medical care and ability to navigate the managed care system. We found that education, income, and wealth all affected medical care expenditures, although the effects of these variables differed across expenditure categories. Moreover, the effects of these SES variables were much smaller than the effects found in earlier studies of fee-for-service Medicare. The pathway variables also were associated with expenditures. Accounting for the pathways through which SES affects expenditures narrowed the effect of SES on expenditures; however, the change in the estimates was very small.
KW - Disparities
KW - Health expenditure
KW - Medicare
KW - Socioeconomic status
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33845702584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1353/hpu.2006.0125
DO - 10.1353/hpu.2006.0125
M3 - Article
C2 - 17242536
AN - SCOPUS:33845702584
VL - 17
SP - 876
EP - 898
JO - Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
JF - Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
SN - 1049-2089
IS - 4
ER -