Related Experiment Videos
Access to urologic care for children in California: Medicaid versus private insurance
Andrew H Hwang1, Margaret M Hwang, Hui-Wen Xie
1Division of Urology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA. ahwang@chla.usc.edu
Insights
Children with Medi-Cal insurance face significant barriers accessing urologic care compared to those with private insurance. This disparity impacts timely treatment for conditions like cryptorchidism.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Health Services Research
- Healthcare Access
Background:
- Medi-Cal (California State Medicaid) is crucial for low-income children's healthcare.
- Cryptorchidism requires timely urologic intervention.
- Disparities in healthcare access based on insurance type are a growing concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare access to pediatric urologic care for children insured by Medi-Cal versus private insurance.
- To identify potential barriers to care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
Main Methods:
- Telephone survey of 54 randomly selected urology offices in California.
- Inquiry about acceptance of pediatric patients and Medi-Cal insurance.
- Comparison of earliest appointment availability for Medi-Cal vs. private insurance.
Main Results:
- 96% of pediatric urology practices offered appointments to privately insured children.
- Only 41% of practices accepted new patients with Medi-Cal.
- Of those not accepting Medi-Cal, 75% could not refer to another accepting office.
Conclusions:
- Children with Medi-Cal insurance experience significantly reduced access to essential urologic care.
- Insurance type is a major determinant of access to pediatric urologic services.
Objectives:
To compare the access to urologic care for a child with cryptorchidism insured by Medi-Cal versus one insured by private insurance. Medi-Cal (California State Medicaid) is a joint state and federal health insurance program that plays a significant role in providing healthcare coverage to low-income children.
Methods:
A total of 54 randomly chosen urology offices throughout California were surveyed by telephone to determine whether the office accepted pediatric patients, accepted Medi-Cal, and when the earliest appointment date would be for a patient with Medi-Cal versus one with private insurance.
Results:
Of the 46 practices that accepted pediatric patients, 96% offered a new patient appointment to a child with private insurance, but only 41% were willing to offer an appointment to a child with Medi-Cal (P < 0.0001). Of the offices that would not see a child with Medi-Cal, 75% were unable to recommend a urology office that might accept Medi-Cal.
Conclusions:
Children insured by Medi-Cal have significantly less access to necessary urologic care compared with children with private insurance.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Urinary Tract Calculi III: Medical Management
01:26Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is limited...
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services
01:22Standards of Care I
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
01:28Urinary Tract Calculi V: Nursing Management