Abstract
The authors investigated the impact of socioeconomic conditions, patterns of morbidity, and health service use on Black—White differences in rates of mortality, and mortality associated with specific diagnoses. Longitudinal data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician billing data and Medicare Enrollment Database (EDB) were analyzed to assess physician-diagnosed morbidity, health service use, and mortality among the population of Medicare beneficiaries in Tennessee ( N = 665,887). Proportional hazards models were used to examine the effects of socioeconomic status, morbidity, and service use on race differences in mortality. Racial differences in physician visits explain the largest portion of mortality differentials between Black Americans and Whites. Race disparities in mortality associated with particular forms of morbidity are also partly a function difference in health service use. Our findings suggest that Black—White mortality differentials could be narrowed by increasing Black Americans' access to physician services.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.