Type or lack of patient insurance is a factor in determining quality of care received, with privately insured patients receiving the best care, according to an article published in Health Affairs.
Researchers used data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Innovative Inpatient Quality Indicators and 11 states' State Inpatient Database records from 2006 through 2008 to compare 15 within-hospital quality of care measures with risk-adjusted mortality rates for patients of varying insurance statuses.
They found lower risk-adjusted mortality rates for patients with private insurance than for Medicare beneficiaries for most quality measures considered. Privately insured patients also had lower risk-adjusted mortality than other payer groups, though to a different extent.
Researchers concluded monitoring quality of care by insurance group could be a more useful way of reducing disparities in care in the healthcare system.
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