No Racial Disparities In Surgical Care Quality Observed After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting In TRICARE Patients

Persistent Racial and Sex Disparities in Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

“…Chaudhary et al proposed that universal access to healthcare may lessen racial disparities, but other research has suggested that postoperative care for Black patients may still be suboptimal. 29,30 Nevertheless, using a state-wide database, Mazzeffi et al 31 suggested that Black patients may do better than others postoperatively, a finding that differs from our national investigation. This study investigated data from Maryland which, as proposed by the authors, has an all-payer system that equitably reimburses hospitals, suggesting some uninsured or underinsured patients might have improved access to care.…”

Data resources for evaluating the economic and financial consequences of surgical care in the United States

“…Because of the broad geographical and socioeconomic representation, researchers have used Tricare as an example of near-universal health coverage among a sample of Americans. 12,14,15 Notable limitations include difficulty comparing the payments between direct care and purchased care systems, high rates of missing information on race/ethnicity, and regulatory barriers to accessing the data. 12,13 Researchers have used Tricare claims to evaluate for racial disparities in access to surgical care and outcomes in this near universally insured population, [14][15][16] as well as costs after colorectal surgery, variation in costs of common surgical procedures, and bundled payments for spine surgery.…”

“…A key strength of Tricare claims is the relative national representativeness given that only 20% of enrollees are active military, while the other 80% are civilians. Because of the broad geographical and socioeconomic representation, researchers have used Tricare as an example of near-universal health coverage among a sample of Americans 12,14,15 . Notable limitations include difficulty comparing the payments between direct care and purchased care systems, high rates of missing information on race/ethnicity, and regulatory barriers to accessing the data 12,13 .…”

Racial Disparity in Cardiac Surgery Risk and Outcome: Report From a Statewide Quality Initiative

“…19 As further evidence that expanded access to insurance reduces racial disparity, a study of TRICARE beneficiaries who had universal health insurance coverage found no racial disparity in CABG outcomes. 20 Another factor that contributes to racial disparity in surgical care is avoidance of the health care system because of a lack of trust. Factors that contribute to this phenomenon include poor physician interpersonal skills, perceptions of profit seeking, and concerns about racism and medical experimentation.…”