The impact of Medicare eligibility on XXXX screening behaviors.

@entity1 @entity263 @entity0 @entity5 @entity14
INTRODUCTION: Lack of health insurance limits access to preventive services, including @entity5 screening. We examined the effects of Medicare eligibility on the appropriate use of @entity5 screening services in the United States. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor and Surveillance System (analyzed in 2014). Univariable and logistic regression analyses were performed for @entity1 aged 60-64 and 66-70 to examine the effects of Medicare eligibility on prevalence of self-reported screening for @entity0 . Sub-analyses were performed among low-income (< 25,000 annual/household) individuals. RESULTS: Medicare-eligible individuals were significantly more likely to undergo all examined preventive services ( @entity14 OR: 1.90; 95% CI 1.79-2.04; @entity263 OR: 1.29; 95% CI 1.17-1.43; @entity0 OR: 1.23; 95% CI 1.10-1.37) and the effect was most pronounced among low-income individuals ( @entity14 OR: 2.04; 95% CI 1.8-2.32; @entity263 OR: 1.39; 95% CI 1.12-1.72; @entity0 OR: 1.42, 95% CI 1.20-1.67). Access to a healthcare provider was the strongest independent predictor of undergoing appropriate screening, ranging from OR 2.73 (95% CI 2.20-3.39) for @entity14 screening in the low-income population to OR 4.79 (95% CI 3.95-5.81) for @entity0 screening in the overall cohort. The difference in screening prevalence was most pronounced when comparing Medicare-eligible @entity1 to uninsured Medicare-ineligible @entity1 (+33.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Medicare eligibility impacts the prevalence of @entity5 screening, likely as a result of increased access to primary care. Low-income individuals benefit most from Medicare eligibility. Expanded public insurance coverage to these individuals may improve access to preventive services.
