Data on Chronic Disease Described by Researchers at Emory University (Racial Trends In Clinical Preventive Services Use, Chronic Disease Prevalence, and Lack of Insurance Before and After the Affordable Care Act): Disease Attributes – Chronic Disease

2022 MAY 26 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Research findings on Disease Attributes - Chronic Disease are discussed in a new report. According to news reporting originating from Atlanta, Georgia, by NewsRx editors, the research stated, “To compare the relative change in the use of clinical preventive services, prevalence of chronic disease, and share uninsured among White, Black, and Hispanic adults before and after the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Retrospective analysis using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey of adults aged 18 to 64 years.”

Financial support for this research came from Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Emory University, “The regression relies on a fully interacted set of indicator variables of each racial group by 3 time periods: 2005-2009, 2010-2013, and 2014-2018. Outcomes included indicators of mammography, colonoscopy, and lipid panel use. Several chronic conditions were examined, including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and mental health status. The final outcome variables examined health insurance (uninsured or not) and out-of-pocket spending as a share of family income. Regression models were used controlling for patient characteristics (age, income, education) and for a set of fully interacted indicator variables of race and time period. We tested for relative changes in White adults vs minority adults for each outcome variable. We used the Wald test (test command in Stata) to test for relative changes over time. We found reductions in baseline (pre-ACA) disparities over time in several of the measures between minority adults and White adults. This included greater growth in the use of mammograms and colonoscopies among minority populations. The results also saw relative reductions in hypertension, coronary heart disease, and fair or poor mental health. Finally, the share uninsured among Hispanic adults decreased at a faster rate than among White adults pre-ACA compared with the ACA period examined. The ACA is associated with a reduction in baseline differences in the use of some clinical preventive services, chronic disease prevalence, health insurance coverage, and out-of-pocket spending.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Continued efforts to promote prevention and further expansions of coverage would appear to pay dividends.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Racial Trends In Clinical Preventive Services Use, Chronic Disease Prevalence, and Lack of Insurance Before and After the Affordable Care Act. The American Journal of Managed Care, 2022;28(4). The American Journal of Managed Care can be contacted at: Managed Care & Healthcare Communications Llc, 666 Plainsboro Rd, Ste 300, Plainsboro, NJ 08536, USA.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Kenneth E. Thorpe, Emory University, Dept. of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2022.88865. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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