Association of health insurance status with presentation and outcomes of coronary artery disease among nonelderly adults undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine if insurance status is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease.
METHODS: A cohort of 13,456 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2007, at 4 New York State teaching hospitals was retrospectively studied. The primary outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality from any cause.
RESULTS: Of the 13,456 patients studied, 11,927 (88.6%) were insured by private carriers, 1,036 (7.7%) patients were covered by Medicaid, and 493 (3.7%) were uninsured. Uninsured and Medicaid patients tended to be younger and more often nonwhite and Hispanic. They had a higher prevalence of congestive heart failure and worse left ventricular function. Compared with privately insured patients, uninsured and Medicaid patients had increased all-cause mortality (1.2% and 0.9%, respectively, vs 0.3%; P < .001). For all patients, lack of insurance (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.10-8.28) and Medicaid (OR 4.39, 95% CI 1.93-9.99) were independently associated with mortality. Lack of insurance (OR 5.02, 95% CI 1.58-15.93) and Medicaid (OR 4.55, 95% CI 1.19-17.45) were also independently associated with increased mortality in patients undergoing emergent PCI.
CONCLUSION: Lack of insurance and Medicaid insurance are both independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality after PCI for coronary artery disease.