Race, segregation, and physicians' participation in medicaid

Jessica Greene, Jan Blustein, Beth C. Weitzman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Many studies have explored the extent to which physicians' characteristics and Medicaid program factors influence physicians' decisions to accept Medicaid patients. In this article, we turn to patient race/ethnicity and residential segregation as potential influences. Using the 2000/2001 Community Tracking Study and other sources we show that physicians are significantly less likely to participate in Medicaid in areas where the poor are nonwhite and in areas that are racially segregated. Surprisingly - and contrary to the prevailing Medicaid participation theory - we find no link between poverty segregation and Medicaid participation when controlling for these racial factors. Accordingly, this study contributes to an accumulating body of circumstantial evidence that patient race influences physicians' choices, which in turn may contribute to racial disparities in access to health care.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)239-272
Number of pages34
JournalMilbank Quarterly
Volume84
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2006

Keywords

  • Medicaid
  • Physician participation
  • Race
  • Segregation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Race, segregation, and physicians' participation in medicaid'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this