Chanhyun Park1, Boon Peng Ng, Kiyoung Kim. 1. Health Outcomes Division, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, 2409 University Ave, Austin, TX 78712. Email: chanhyun.park@austin.utexas.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The understanding of which factors are associated with inability to access health care services due to the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. We aimed to examine factors associated with being unable to access health care due to the pandemic among Medicare beneficiaries. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: We analyzed the summer and fall 2020 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Rapid Response Supplement Questionnaire data. Our study included community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older (summer: n = 8751; fall: n = 7421). Logistic regressions were used to examine factors (eg, sociodemographics, comorbidities) associated with being unable to access health care services due to the pandemic. RESULTS: Approximately 20.9% and 7.5% of the beneficiaries reported they were unable to access health care services due to the pandemic in the summer and fall of 2020, respectively. The most frequent types of services that beneficiaries were unable to access were dental care (summer, 45.5%; fall, 35.1%) and regular check-ups (summer, 35.9%; fall, 46.1%). Beneficiaries who reported a higher income (income ≥ $25,000) (summer: odds ratio [OR], 1.55; P < .001; fall: OR, 1.52; P = .002) or speaking English at home (summer: OR, 1.50; P = .016; fall: OR, 1.53; P = .082) were more likely to report being unable to access services than their counterparts (lower income or speaking a language other than English at home). Beneficiaries with at least 4 chronic conditions were unable to access health care significantly more often than those with 1 or no conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Given that sociodemographics and comorbidity burden contributed to the disparities that we observed in accessibility of health care services due to the pandemic, these findings can allow decision makers to target resource allocation and outreach efforts to those populations most at risk.
OBJECTIVES: The understanding of which factors are associated with inability to access health care services due to the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. We aimed to examine factors associated with being unable to access health care due to the pandemic among Medicare beneficiaries. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: We analyzed the summer and fall 2020 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Rapid Response Supplement Questionnaire data. Our study included community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older (summer: n = 8751; fall: n = 7421). Logistic regressions were used to examine factors (eg, sociodemographics, comorbidities) associated with being unable to access health care services due to the pandemic. RESULTS: Approximately 20.9% and 7.5% of the beneficiaries reported they were unable to access health care services due to the pandemic in the summer and fall of 2020, respectively. The most frequent types of services that beneficiaries were unable to access were dental care (summer, 45.5%; fall, 35.1%) and regular check-ups (summer, 35.9%; fall, 46.1%). Beneficiaries who reported a higher income (income ≥ $25,000) (summer: odds ratio [OR], 1.55; P < .001; fall: OR, 1.52; P = .002) or speaking English at home (summer: OR, 1.50; P = .016; fall: OR, 1.53; P = .082) were more likely to report being unable to access services than their counterparts (lower income or speaking a language other than English at home). Beneficiaries with at least 4 chronic conditions were unable to access health care significantly more often than those with 1 or no conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Given that sociodemographics and comorbidity burden contributed to the disparities that we observed in accessibility of health care services due to the pandemic, these findings can allow decision makers to target resource allocation and outreach efforts to those populations most at risk.
Authors: Clarissa J Diamantidis; David J Cook; Stephan Dunning; Cyd Kristoff Redelosa; Martin Francis D Bartolome; Roland Albert A Romero; Joseph A Vassalotti Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2022-09-26 Impact factor: 6.473
Authors: Aashna Mehta; Wireko Andrew Awuah; Jacob Kalmanovich; Helen Huang; Resham Tanna; Duaa Javed Iqbal; Tulika Garg; Halil Ibrahim Bulut; Toufik Abdul-Rahman; Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Journal: Ann Med Surg (Lond) Date: 2022-08-19