The association of payer with utilization of cardiac procedures in Massachusetts

This study evaluated the effect of insurance status on the of three widely used and expensive cardiac procedures: coronary, bypass grafting, and angioplasty. Data were obtained from for all patients with circulatory disorders who were discharged from acute care hospitals in Massachusetts during 1985. Analysis of the revealed that unadjusted procedure rates for privately insured patients approximately twice the rates for Medicaid and uninsured patients. The two groups of cardiac patients underwent procedures at about the same. Wenneker, et al. discuss possible reasons for the differences in of cardiac procedures among the three groups of patients. They that their findings raise serious questions about the quality of care patients with heart disease in the context of payer status, and that study of the issue is needed. (KIE abstract)