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International Journal of Health Economics and Management
Published in: International Journal of Health Economics and Management 1/2022

01-03-2022 | Care | Research article

Racial disparities in health care utilization, the affordable care act and racial concordance preference

Authors: Alyson Ma, Alison Sanchez, Mindy Ma

Published in: International Journal of Health Economics and Management | Issue 1/2022

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Abstract

The Affordable Care Act was implemented with the aim of increasing coverage and affordable access with hopes of improving health outcomes and reducing costs. Yet, disparities persist. Coverage and affordable access alone cannot explain the health care gap between racial/ethnic minorities and white patients. Instead, the focus has turned to other factors affecting utilization rates such as the patient-provider relationship. Data from nationally represented U.S. households in 2009–2017 were used to study the association between patient-provider social distance as measured by “racial/ethnic concordance” and health care utilization rates for periods covering pre- and post-ACA. Despite the reduction in financial barriers to health access with the implementation of the ACA, the correlation between racial/ethnic concordance and utilization remains positive and significant. The results suggest that while the ACA may have improved coverage and affordability, other dimensions of access, particularly acceptability, as measured by patient-provider clinical interaction experience, remains a factor in the decision to utilize care.
Footnotes
1
Medicaid is a jointly funded program by U.S. states and the federal government to provide health coverage to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.
 
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Metadata
Title
Racial disparities in health care utilization, the affordable care act and racial concordance preference
Authors
Alyson Ma
Alison Sanchez
Mindy Ma
Publication date
01-03-2022
Publisher
Springer US
Keyword
Care
Published in
International Journal of Health Economics and Management / Issue 1/2022
Print ISSN: 2199-9023
Electronic ISSN: 2199-9031
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-021-09311-8

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