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Physician utilization and expenditures in a Medicaid population
Health Care Financing Review
|December 6, 1986
Summary
Perceived health status significantly influences physician visit use and spending for Medicaid enrollees. Other key factors include having a regular doctor, state, and family size.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Medical Economics
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Medicaid beneficiaries exhibit varying patterns of healthcare utilization.
- Understanding drivers of physician visits is crucial for resource allocation and policy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the determinants of physician visit utilization and expenditures among full-year Medicaid enrollees.
- To identify key factors influencing healthcare seeking behavior within this population.
Main Methods:
- Regression analyses were performed on data from the National Medical Care Utilization and Expenditure Survey.
- The study focused on full-year Medicaid enrollees within the State Medicaid household survey.
Main Results:
- Perceived health status emerged as a primary determinant of both the probability and number of physician visits, as well as associated expenditures.
- Other significant predictors included having a regular source of care, geographic state, enrollment group, sex, and family size.
Conclusions:
- Self-reported health status is a critical factor in Medicaid physician visit utilization and spending.
- Healthcare access and utilization among Medicaid enrollees are influenced by a combination of individual, demographic, and system-level factors.