Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health Care Receipt Among Male Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Objectives We examined racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare receipt among a nationally representative sample of male cancer survivors. Methods We identified adult men (age 18+) from the 2006–2010 National Health Interview Survey who reported a history of cancer. Four self-reported measures assessed healthcare receipt: primary care visit, specialist visit, flu vaccination, and pneumococcal vaccination. We used hierarchical logistic regression modeling, stratified by age (younger: <65, older: 65+), to examine racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare receipt. Results In adjusted models, older African American and Hispanic survivors were approximately twice as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to not see a specialist (OR 1.78, CI 1.19–2.68 and OR 2.09, CI 1.18–3.70, respectively), not receive the flu vaccine (OR 2.21, CI 1.45–3.37 and OR 2.20, CI 1.21–4.01, respectively) and not receive the pneumococcal vaccine (OR 2.24, CI 1.54–3.24 and OR 3.10, CI 1.75–5.51, respectively). Conclusions Racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare receipt were evident among older, but not younger survivors, despite access to Medicare. This may have implications for their health and receipt of follow-up care if these survivors are less likely to see specialists, including oncologists, and get basic preventive care.

Quality of End‐of‐Life Care Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries With Colorectal Cancer

“…45 Out-of-pocket spending is substantially higher among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer than those without cancer, and older cancer survivors are found to forgo health care because of cost. 46,47 This study has some limitations. Medicare data do not contain information regarding services not covered by or billed to Medicare, and they do not include information for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.…”

“…According to an analysis of the Health and Retirement Survey data of Medicare beneficiaries, 25% of individuals experienced out‐of‐pocket spending during the last 5 years of life that exceeded their total household assets, and 43% experienced spending that exceeded the total nonhousehold assets . Out‐of‐pocket spending is substantially higher among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer than those without cancer, and older cancer survivors are found to forgo health care because of cost …”

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Influenza Vaccination among Adults with Chronic Medical Conditions Vary by Age in the United States

“…Non-Hispanic blacks (blacks) and Hispanics are less likely to receive the immunization in comparison to non-Hispanic whites (whites) [11,12]. These disparities are also experienced among high-risk individuals including the aged population, health-care workers, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic health conditions [13–16]. …”

Racial Disparities in the Tangible Dimension of the Public Health Care in South Africa

“…It is clear that low mental health treatment initiation and poor adequacy require culturally appropriate interventions to engage all groups equally in mental health care. Palmer, Geiger, Felder, Lu, Case and Weaver (2013) scrutinised the ethnic disparities in health care among a nationally representative sample of male cancer survivors in America. Despite equal access to health care ethnic inequalities were still significant among older patients.…”

“…Some researchers have also examined the race and ethnic disparities in health care in developing countries such as the United States (Jones, Trivedi & Ayanian, 2010:337;Jimenez, Cook Bartels & Alegría, 2013;Palmer, Geiger, Felder, Lu, Case & Weaver, 2013), New Zealand (Rumball-Smith, Sarfati, Hider & Blakely, 2013 and Canada (Wardman, Clement, & Quantz, 2005) as well as various developing countries such as India, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ghana, and Tanzania (Balarajan, Selvaraj, Subramanian, 2011;Marmot, Allen, Bell, Goldblatt, 2012;Mills, Ataguba, Akazili, Borghi, Garshong, Makawia, Mtei, Harris, Macha, Meheus & McIntyre 2012). However, far less research on the racial disparities with regards to tangible service delivery in public health care has been conducted in emerging markets, such as South Africa.…”