Insurance and Structural Access Quality and Effects on AAA Mortality: A National Healthcare Quality and Disparities...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Vascular Surgery Outcomes
• Health Disparities

Background:

• The National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (NHDQR) tracks healthcare trends.
• This study investigates insurance quality and access to care's impact on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the significance of insurance quality and access to care on AAA repair outcomes.
• To analyze the association between these factors and AAA mortality rates.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Agency for Health Care Research and Quality database (2016-2020).
• Compared AAA repair mortality rates, insurance quality, and structural access across 31 U.S. states.
• Employed linear regression models and ANOVA, categorizing insurance and access as weak, average, or strong.

Main Results:

• No association found between access to care and AAA mortality in 2016, 2020, or when analyzing state improvements.
• Significant association identified between private insurance quality and AAA repair mortality in 2016.
• Association also found between changes in private insurance quality and AAA mortality over the study period.

Conclusions:

• Structural access quality does not appear to influence AAA mortality.
• Private insurance quality is associated with AAA repair mortality, suggesting a role in healthcare disparities.