Open AccessA Decade of Research on Disparities in Medicare Utilization: Lessons for the Health and Health Care of Vulnerable Men
Author(s) -
Marian Gornick
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.98.supplement_1.s162
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , health equity , race (biology) , health care , gerontology , medicine , environmental health , public health , economic growth , population , sociology , nursing , gender studies , economics
Medicare research has shown that there are substantial disparities by race and socioeconomic status in use of services. In this article, I review past research and discuss how findings apply specifically to vulnerable men aged 65 years or older. Six lessons from this review are identified and illustrated here. Disparities in certain measures of health are growing; to reverse this trend, substantial efforts are needed, including dissemination of information about disparities as well as testing of hypotheses regarding underlying causes.