Journal article
The Affordable Care Act Reduces Hypertension Treatment Disparities for Mexican-heritage Latinos
Medical care, v 55(7), pp 654-660
01 Jul 2017
PMID: 28614177
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Objectives: Mexican-heritage Latinos have lower prevalence of hypertension, but have worse patterns of treatment and control compared with non-Latino whites. This study examined the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance expansion on reducing disparities in treatment and medication use among Mexican-heritage Latinos with hypertension.
Research Design: Using the 2009-2014 waves of the California Health Interview Survey, we examine health care access, utilization, and medication use among Mexican-heritage Latinos and non-Latino whites with hypertension. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to adjust for socioeconomic and demographic factors. Interactions between race/ethnicity and year variables were conducted to capture the effects of the passage of the ACA.
Results: Among those with hypertension, the full implementation of the ACA (year 2014) is associated with a greater likelihood of being insured, but the race/ethnicity interaction indicates that this gain is less substantial for Mexican-heritage Latinos. The odds of having a usual source of care other than the emergency department increased after the passage of the ACA, and interaction effects indicate that this gain was more substantial for Mexican-heritage Latinos. The odds of having any physician visit and taking blood pressure mediations decreased among non-Latino whites but increased among Mexican-heritage Latinos.
Conclusions: The implementation of the ACA in California has helped reduce some of the disparities in health care access, utilization, and medication use between non-Latino whites and Mexican-heritage Latinos with hypertension. However, sustained progress is threatened by looming repeals of ACA provisions.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- The Affordable Care Act Reduces Hypertension Treatment Disparities for Mexican-heritage Latinos
- Creators
- Ryan M. McKenna - University of Maryland, College ParkHector E. Alcala - Univ Virginia, Sch Med, Dept Publ Hlth Sci, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USAFelice Le-Scherban - Drexel UniversityDylan H. Roby - Univ Virginia, Sch Med, Dept Publ Hlth Sci, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USAAlexander N. Ortega - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Medical care, v 55(7), pp 654-660
- Publisher
- Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- Number of pages
- 7
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Health Management and Policy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000403555000004
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85021369975
- Other Identifier
- 991019168671404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Health Care Sciences & Services
- Health Policy & Services
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health