PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Insurance Pools”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 721 records · Page 40Linked to original sources

A model for non-communicable disease surveillance in Canada: the prairie pilot diabetes surveillance system.

The Prairie Pilot Diabetes Surveillance Project was organized to design and test a prototype population-based surveillance system, using administrative data, for a chronic disease exemplar - diabetes mellitus. The Canadian model of a public health surveillance system for chronic conditions described here specifies a process by which administrative and claims data arising from provincial health insurance programs are merged into an annual person-level summary file (APLSF), yielding one summary record for each person insured within each province. The APLSF is the basis for a variety of estimates, including incidence, prevalence, mortality, complication rates and health services utilization. The model was used to produce comparable interprovincial estimates of several parameters with respect to diabetes for the entire population in the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. All processing of identifiable health data occurred within the provinces where the data were generated. Combining results across provinces was based on further aggregation of the summary data from each province and not by pooling of identifiable person-level data. On the basis of preliminary outputs for diabetes mellitus, the model appears to provide coherent estimates of key diabetes parameters and reflects anticipated differences in health services and outcomes, by disease state. Three characteristics of the model recommend it as a resource for non-communicable disease surveillance in Canada: a) it maximizes the utility of existing data; b) it includes both those with and those without the disease in question; and c) it respects provincial legislation regarding personal health data, yet permits reporting of multi-provincial, population-based data.

Adolescent↗

Beyond coverage and supply: measuring access to healthcare in today's market.

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE: To stimulate discussion within the research and policy community about the value of and issues surrounding different ways to describe access to care in a health system reconfigured by the growth of managed care, competition, and other marketplace changes. PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: The concept of access has evolved over time to address shifting health policy concerns like the growing interest in looking beyond utilization as a measure of access to a better consideration, too, of the effectiveness of services used as judged by costs and outcomes. Yet current frameworks used to look at access are person-based and do not capture the complexity of the healthcare system and the complex structures involved in managed care organizations that combine delivery and financing and vary substantially within and across markets. In addition, many at times competing or conflicting policy goals on access exist. There also is an increasingly diverse and widening set of uses that include benchmarking against national goals, measuring performance of accountable entities, and providing consumer information. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Traditional access frameworks are invaluable in encouraging focus on historical measures of access, like insurance coverage and other barriers to system entry. But much greater attention needs to be paid to adapting current access frameworks so that they also better support the ability to understand how processes inherent in diverse health delivery and financing arrangements influence access to services within a system and what this means for how well individuals negotiate healthcare systems and the effects on care outcomes. The increasing demands on access measures and the growing diversity of users also point to a need for collaboration to better pool insights, share experiences, and honestly confront trade-offs or disagreements to progress in addressing these issues.

Delivery of Health Care↗

A nationwide evaluative study on implant-retained overdentures.

OBJECTIVES: In the Netherlands, dental implants have been included in the National Dental Insurance Scheme (NDIS) since 1989. Nowadays, out-of-pocket expenditure is low, making implant treatment financially feasible for a large group of edentulous, potential implant candidates. Treatment can be performed by both oral surgeons and general dentists. Results of implant treatment in the literature are usually obtained in academic and specialized centers. In contrast to this, the present study evaluates the quantitative and qualitative aspects of rehabilitation with oral implants in combination with an overdenture when applied on a nationwide scale. METHODS: For this purpose all patients (n = 5410) treated between January 1989 and July 1992 were extensively documented pre-operatively, implant patients (n = 429) were clinically investigated by two independent observers and the effect of treatment on denture complaints was assessed by means of a questionnaire (n = 460). RESULTS: Only a small proportion of the potential pool of implant candidates is actually being treated, to a constant number of approximately 2000 patients a year. The selected patients have major denture problems and have received relatively high levels of prosthetic care during the last decade. Clinical results are comparable to those reported in the literature, implant survival after 3 years for the lower jaw being 96.3% and for the upper jaw 70.4%. Oral hygiene was frequently considered suboptimal and seen in conjunction with marginal inflammation of the peri-implant mucosa. Subjective results were excellent, patients were quite satisfied with the improvements in the comfort and esthetics of their lower denture. CONCLUSIONS: Implant-overdenture treatment, within the guidelines and regulations set by the Dutch NDIS, is a safe and effective treatment alternative, in particular for the rehabilitation of the lower jaw.

Dental Health Surveys↗

Electronic laboratory reporting for the infectious diseases physician and clinical microbiologist.

BACKGROUND: One important benefit of electronic health information is the improved interface between infectious diseases practice and public health. Electronic communicable disease reporting (CDR), given its legal mandate and clear public health importance, is a significant early step in the sifting and pooling of health data for purposes beyond patient care and billing. Over the next 5-10 years, almost all CDR will move to the internet. METHODS: This paper reviews the components of electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), including sifting through data in a laboratory information management system for reportable results, controlled "vocabularies" (e.g., LOINC, Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes [Regenstrief Institute], and SNOMED, Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine [College of American Pathologists]), the "syntax" of an electronic message (e.g., health level 7 [HL7]), the implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act for ELR, and the obstacles to and potential benefits of ELR. RESULTS: There are several ways that infectious diseases physicians, infection control professionals, and microbiology laboratorians will participate in electronic CDR, including web-based case reporting and ELR, the direct, automated messaging of communicable disease reports from clinical lab information management systems to the appropriate public health jurisdiction's information system. CONCLUSIONS: ELR has the potential to make a large impact on the timeliness and the completeness of communicable disease reporting, but it does not replace the clinician's responsibility to submit a case report with important demographic and epidemiologic information.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗

Pharmaceuticals: pharmaceutical cost controls--2005. End of Year Issue Brief.

The enactment of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA '90) gave states the option of offering pharmaceutical benefits within their Medicaid programs. But the law placed restrictions on states' flexibility to control what prescriptions they would cover and required the states to reimburse outpatient prescription drugs from manufacturers that signed rebate agreements with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Forty-nine states--Arizona is excluded, based on its program structure--and the District of Columbia currently offer prescription drug coverage under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. During the past four years, states all over the country have been plagued with revenue shortfalls in their state Medicaid budgets. While the fiscal situation improved for most states in the 2004 legislative session, many states still face budget pressures in 2005. Compounding existing budget pressures are threats from the Bush Administration to shift increased costs of the Medicaid program on to the states. All things considered, the economic pressure of funding Medicaid is at the top of legislative agendas in 2005. As in previous years, states are attempting to reduce costs to their Medicaid programs by seeking savings in their pharmaceutical programs. Prescription drug costs are highly attributed as a contributing factor to the fiscal climate of state Medicaid programs. Currently, prescription drug spending outpaces that of every other category of health care and drug prices are rising faster than inflation. In response, states are instituting a variety of pharmaceutical cost control measures such as creating preferred drug lists (PDLs), negotiating supplemental rebates, forming bulk purchasing pools, promoting generic drug substitution and implementing price controls. As prescription drug cost containment tools have gained acceptance and momentum, they continue to be controversial. This issue brief explores the debate, history, methodology, utilization and 2005 legislative activity surrounding the most commonly used and emerging pharmaceutical cost control measures.

Cost Control↗

Effects of maternal characteristics on cesarean delivery rates among U.S. Department of Defense healthcare beneficiaries, 1996-2002.

BACKGROUND: National rates of cesarean birth continue a three decade-long escalation, despite widespread recognition that a reduction in the use of the procedure is a continuing appropriate public health goal, as evidenced by the Healthy People 2010 reduction targets. Nonclinical factors associated with cesarean delivery include maternal age, race, socioeconomic status, and insurance coverage. This study compared cesarean delivery rates and trends for the U.S. Department of Defense healthcare beneficiary population from 1996 to 2002 with those observed nationally, and assessed the association of these nonclinical factors with cesarean rate variation in the U.S. Department of Defense healthcare beneficiary population. METHODS: Hospital discharge and claims records for babies born in the military and civilian hospitals that comprise the Department of Defense healthcare network were used to calculate total and primary cesarean delivery rates and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates from 1996 to 2002. Annual cesarean rates for subgroups defined by maternal age, race, and socioeconomic status were calculated to examine rate variations and rate trends within the study population. Pooled data from 1999 to 2002 were used to compare rates across socioeconomic status, stratified by age and race. Statistical significance of the differences calculated for subgroups was assessed using chi-square. RESULTS: Total and primary cesarean delivery rates among the U.S. Department of Defense population were lower than those reported nationally for every year examined. Cesarean delivery and VBAC rate trends in the national and Department of Defense populations were similar. Within the Department of Defense population, total cesarean delivery increased with increasing maternal age and was more highly associated with racial minorities relative to white women. The higher socioeconomic subgroup (defined as active duty, retired, and warrant officers and their families in this study) was generally associated with reduced cesarean delivery rates. CONCLUSIONS: Cesarean deliveries are performed less frequently for the U.S. Department of Defense healthcare beneficiary population relative to the national population. Associations between socioeconomic factors and cesarean rates reported for the national population were not apparent in the study population. The consistent pattern of rate variation across racial subgroups in the Department of Defense population suggests that factors beyond those examined in this study are needed to explain the elevated cesarean rates for racial minorities.

Adult↗

The impact of National Health Insurance on neonatal care use and childhood vaccination in Taiwan.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of National Health Insurance (NHI) on the utilization of neonatal care and childhood vaccination in Taiwan. Data are selected from two nationwide maternal and infant surveys undertaken in 1989 and 1996, which were funded by the Department of Health. The questionnaire was administered in all 23 administrative districts, including two metropolitan areas - the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung. The first and second cohort consisted of 1641 and 3499 infants, respectively. This study used a bivariate probit estimation procedure to examine the factors that determine the probability of neonatal care use and vaccination by pooling the 2 years. Generally, the mothers who are older, more educated and more satisfied with birth delivery services were found to be more likely to use neonatal preventive care. The likelihood of receiving such care also tends to rise with advancing gestational age and higher probability of neonatal complication (icterus neonatorum) and being born in a hospital. The likelihood of care was also found to vary regionally with northern neonates having higher odds of receiving preventive care than non-northern neonates. In spite of having an insignificant impact on the use of care, NHI does lessen the inequality in use of these two services in various regions. However, regional variations in neonatal care use still exist. Residents of the southern area remain less likely to receive neonatal care than those of the northern area after NHI. This finding deserves serious consideration when attempting to design effective policies, such as expanding medical institutions in the aboriginal southern areas so as to increase the accessibility of such health care.

Child Health Services↗

Surplus or shortage? Unraveling the physician supply conundrum.

Although the supply of physicians in the United States has doubled during the past 20 years, there is still disagreement as to whether we currently have or should expect a significant surplus of physicians. The evidence suggests that despite the rapid expansion in the pool of available physicians, serious physician shortages persist for certain rural populations, ethnic and occupational groups, and other medically disadvantaged segments of the population. Medical students' declining interest in rural practice and primary care specialties suggests that problems of geographic and specialty maldistribution may worsen despite a rising population of physicians. It is unlikely that a significant physician surplus will develop unless there is a conscious attempt to limit the proportion of national wealth expended on medical care. Pockets of shortage can be reduced by broadening the availability of health insurance, lessening large income disparities between different specialties, changing the way teaching institutions are reimbursed for their training costs, and supporting direct governmental service programs such as the National Health Service Corps.

Humans↗

Risk factors for delay in age-appropriate vaccination.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk factors of children experiencing delay in age-appropriate vaccination using a nationally representative population of children, and to compare risk factors for vaccination delay with those based on up-to-date vaccination status models. METHODS: The authors compared predictors of delay in age-appropriate vaccination with those for children who were not up-to-date, using a nationally representative sample of children from five years of pooled data (1992-1996) from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Immunization Supplement. Duration of delay was calculated for the DTP4, Polio3, MMR1 doses and 4:3:1 series using age-appropriate vaccination standards; up-to-date status (i.e., whether or not a dose was received) was also determined. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated using multivariate logistic regression for models of vaccination delay and up-to-date vaccination status. RESULTS: Absence of a two-parent household, large family size, parental education, Medicaid enrollment, absence of a usual provider, no insurance coverage, and households without a telephone were significantly related to increased odds of a child experiencing vaccination delay (p < or = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Many of the risk factors observed in models of vaccination delay were not found to be significant in risk models based upon up-to-date status. Consequently, risk models of delays in age-appropriate vaccination may foster identification of children at increased risk for inadequate vaccination. Populations at increased risk of inadequate vaccination can be more clearly identified through risk models of delays in age-appropriate vaccination.

Age Factors↗

Provider assessments, the uninsured, and uncompensated care: Florida's Public Medical Assistance Trust Fund.

Several states have imposed a provider tax to create a revenue pool for compensating hospitals that provide services to the uninsured. In Florida, this fund, called the Public Medical Assistance Trust Fund, has been at least partially successful: First, fund dollars have helped provide coverage to many previously uninsured persons. Second, although direct subsidy payments cover only a small share of prior year uncompensated care dollars, public hospitals appear to be the primary beneficiaries of the subsidy payments. Third, the provider tax yields a stable, albeit inadequate, source of revenue. It appears to be a useful tool for generating the initial funding to expand health insurance coverage, but in order to raise enough money to finance substantial change, provider assessments will have to be imposed on a wider range of health care facilities and even on certain types of health care professionals.

Florida↗

Use of preventive care by the working poor in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Examine the association between poverty and preventive care use among older working adults. METHOD: Cross-sectional analysis of the pooled 1996, 1998 and 2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of older community-dwelling adults, studying self-reported use of cervical, breast, and prostate cancer screening, as well as serum cholesterol screening and influenza vaccination. Adults with incomes within 200% of the federal poverty level were defined as poor. RESULTS: Among 10,088 older working adults, overall preventive care use ranged from 38% (influenza vaccination) to 76% (breast cancer screening). In unadjusted analyses, the working poor were significantly less likely to receive preventive care. After adjustment for insurance coverage, education, and other socio-demographic characteristics, the working poor remained significantly less likely to receive breast cancer (RR 0.92, 95% CI, 0.86-0.96), prostate cancer (RR 0.89, 95% CI, 0.81-0.97), and cholesterol screening (RR 0.91, 95% CI, 0.86-0.96) than the working non-poor, but were not significantly less likely to receive cervical cancer screening (RR 0.96, 95% CI, 0.90-1.01) or influenza vaccination (RR 0.92, 95% CI, 0.84-1.01). CONCLUSION: The older working poor are at modestly increased risk for not receiving preventive care.

Cost of Illness↗

Costs of maternal conditions attributable to smoking during pregnancy.

CONTEXT: Despite known adverse health effects, many women continue to smoke during pregnancy. Public attention has now focused on the economic as well as health effects of this behavior. OBJECTIVE: To estimate health care costs associated with smoking-attributable cases of placenta previa, abruptio placenta, ectopic pregnancy, preterm premature rupture of the membrane (PPROM), pre-eclampsia, and spontaneous abortion. DESIGN: Pooled odds ratios were used with data on total cases to estimate smoking-attributable cases. Estimated average costs for cases of ectopic pregnancy and spontaneous abortion were used to estimate smoking-attributable health care costs for these conditions. Incremental costs, or costs above those for a "normal" delivery, were used to estimate smoking-attributable costs of placenta previa, abruptio placenta, PPROM, and pre-eclampsia associated with delivery. SETTING: National estimates for 1993. PARTICIPANTS: Data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) and claims data from a sample of large, self-insured employers across the country. RESULTS: Smoking-attributable costs ranged from $1.3 million for PPROM to $86 million for ectopic pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy apparently protects against pre-eclampsia and saves between $36 and $49 million, depending on smoking prevalence. Over all conditions smoking-attributable costs ranged from $135 to $167 million. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking during pregnancy is a preventable cause of higher health care costs for the conditions studied. While smoking during pregnancy was found to be protective against pre-eclampsia and, hence, saves costs, the net costs were still positive and significant. Effective smoking-cessation programs can reduce health care costs but clinicians will perhaps need to manage increased cases of pre-eclampsia in a cost-effective manner.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Using the critical incident survey to assess hospital service quality.

This survey was designed to determine "standards of excellence" in hospital services as defined by (a) former patients, (b) physicians, (c) hospital employees, and (d) corporate insurance subscribers. One hundred forty-seven (147) patients, 188 employees, and 20 corporate subscribers were interviewed by telephone, and 52 physicians were interviewed in their offices. The interview consisted of a single question: "Can you think of a time when, as a patient/employee/employer/physician, you had a particularly satisfying or dissatisfying experience with a local hospital?" Reported incidents were reviewed, and 239 "critical incidents" were identified. These incidents were classified into 12 descriptive categories relating to the underlying factors in the incident reports. Six focus groups were later held with participants segregated by the population pool they represented. These groups were asked to develop definitions of "excellence" in hospital service quality and standards for service which would "exceed expectations." The focus groups created 122 standards of excellence, which were classified into 43 categories. Overall, the largest percentages of corporate, physician, and employee critical incidents were classified as "Administrative Policy" issues. Patients most often reported "Nurturing" incidents as critical to their perceptions of hospital service quality.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Time relations between the impulses of two motor units from symmetrical muscles upon voluntary control.

The activity of two motor units (MUs) belonging to two symmetrical muscles of both hands in six well trained subjects was investigated. Bipolar selective surface electrodes were used to lead off the electrical activity of mm interossei dig. dors. I or mm opponentes pollices. The "Medelec" electromyograph insured the visual and auditory feed-back from the firing MUs. The continuous or intermittent activity of both MUs was controlled voluntarily and simultaneously by the subjects. The probability of appearance of an impulse (the first or the last impulse in an intermittent train) from one unit when the other was firing continuously was studied. Alternation of the probability at 20 ms steps was found. At the same time the rhythm of the continuously firing MU was slightly affected. The data suggest a joint supraspinal influence or segmental contralateral outflow from the symmetrical motor pool. The hypothesis of the alphamotoneuron firing as a random process could not be used to explain the cases of joint activity.

Adult↗

[Significance of environmental medicine from the viewpoint of the medical review board of the social health insurance program].

Tasks concerning environmental medicine are a significant aspect of the expert work done by the medical review board of the social health insurance fund. Thus far there are no commonly accepted theories and/or criteria with regard to the cause of environmental incompatibilities, nor are there generally accepted criteria/standards for clinical diagnostic procedures and therapy. Problems arise from the fact that the field of environmental medicine not only offers scientifically accepted and verified diagnostic and therapeutic methods, but also numerous unconventional procedures without verified validity. The decision of the scientific expert has to be based on the legal principles of social legislation and jurisdiction. His/her opinion must be competent, objective and independent. Further research is urgently needed to improve the scientific data pool. With it, well-grounded methods and standards can be offered.

Disability Evaluation↗

Late effects of therapy in survivors of Ewing's sarcoma family tumors.

PURPOSE: This late effects study was designed to determine if survivors of Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFT) had adverse outcomes in employment, marital status, fertility, and functional status when compared to sibling controls. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty-nine survivors (case subjects) of ESFT treated at the National Cancer Institute between 1965 and 1992 and 97 sibling controls completed a questionnaire probing aspects of quality of life. The answers from case subjects were compared to pooled and matched sibling controls for all key variables. Odds ratios (OR) and p values from pooled analyses are presented. RESULTS: Although case subjects and controls did not differ in educational achievement, case subjects were less likely to be employed full-time (OR 0.4, p < 0.01), to be married (OR 0.2, p < 0.01), and to have children (OR 0.3, p < 0.01). Their most common treatment-related difficulties included permanent hair and skin changes (43%), lung problems (18%), neurologic problems (14%), visual difficulties (10%), second malignancy (7%), and amputation (5%). Functional status, measured by Karnofsky performance scale, was also adversely affected in case subjects. Case subjects did not differ from sibling controls in health care insurance status or in utilization of health services. CONCLUSIONS: Important aspects of life such as employment, marital status, fertility, and functional status are affected in survivors of ESFT. More studies are needed to better define the health status of adult survivors of pediatric cancer and the impact of cancer in adolescence on psychosocial development.

Adolescent↗

The media vs managed health care: are we seeing a full court press?

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that medical coverage for many Americans is shifting rapidly from traditional insurance to managed care, studies suggest that most citizens have limited knowledge or understanding of the implication of this change. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the predominant message being portrayed by the lay press on managed care. METHODS: We conducted a review of newspaper articles dealing with managed care from several leading national newspapers. Surveys, editorials, letters to the editor, or nonclinical articles were excluded. The articles were examined to evaluate their likely effect on the reader's willingness to join a managed care organization, and were scored using a standardized survey instrument. The final analysis included data from 85 articles from an original pool of 277. RESULTS: In only 8% of cases, the articles were considered likely to have had a positive influence on the reader and, thus, encourage them to join or remain with a managed care organization. More important, in fully two thirds of cases, we believed the articles portrayed so unfavorable a message that the reader was less likely to join, or might even decide to leave, a managed care organization. The articles dealt most frequently (67%) with patient concerns with managed care, focused mainly on cost and quality issues, and managed care representatives were the people whose opinions were most commonly (53%) solicited. CONCLUSIONS: It seems highly likely that public perception of managed health care will be influenced by the strongly negative representation being portrayed by the newspapers. While debate over the good vs bad features of managed care continues, available evidence suggests this form of health care coverage continues to grow. The press is likely to remain an important source by which information about managed care is transmitted to the public and will certainly influence public decision making on the issue. If the current negative representation continues, we may soon begin to see a widespread backlash of public opinion opposing this form of health care.

Editorial Policies↗

Whose health is affected by income inequality? A multilevel interaction analysis of contemporaneous and lagged effects of state income inequality on individual self-rated health in the United States.

The empirical relationship between income inequality and health has been much debated and discussed. Recent reviews suggest that the current evidence is mixed, with the relationship between state income inequality and health in the United States (US) being perhaps the most robust. In this paper, we examine the multilevel interactions between state income inequality, individual poor self-rated health, and a range of individual demographic and socioeconomic markers in the US. We use the pooled data from the 1995 and 1997 Current Population Surveys, and the data on state income inequality (represented using Gini coefficient) from the 1990, 1980, and 1970 US Censuses. Utilizing a cross-sectional multilevel design of 201,221 adults nested within 50 US states we calibrated two-level binomial hierarchical mixed models (with states specified as a random effect). Our analyses suggest that for a 0.05 change in the state income inequality, the odds ratio (OR) of reporting poor health was 1.30 (95% CI: 1.17-1.45) in a conditional model that included individual age, sex, race, marital status, education, income, and health insurance coverage as well as state median income. With few exceptions, we did not find strong statistical support for differential effects of state income inequality across different population groups. For instance, the relationship between state income inequality and poor health was steeper for whites compared to blacks (OR=1.34; 95% CI: 1.20-1.48) and for individuals with incomes greater than $75,000 compared to less affluent individuals (OR=1.65; 95% CI: 1.26-2.15). Our findings, however, primarily suggests an overall (as opposed to differential) contextual effect of state income inequality on individual self-rated poor health. To the extent that contemporaneous state income inequality differentially affects population sub-groups, our analyses suggest that the adverse impact of inequality is somewhat stronger for the relatively advantaged socioeconomic groups. This pattern was found to be consistent regardless of whether we consider contemporaneous or lagged effects of state income inequality on health. At the same time, the contemporaneous main effect of state income inequality remained statistically significant even when conditioned for past levels of income inequality and median income of states.

Adult↗