Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113060

Huey J. Chen, PhD¹, Ren Chen, MPH², and Shabnam Mehra, MPH². (1) Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 North Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, 813-974-7409, chen@fmhi.usf.edu, (2) Department of Mental Health Law & Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612-3809

Purpose: To examine the differences in Medicaid eligibility status change among different racial ethnic groups.

Ability to access of health care is a major issue in reducing health disparity especially among disadvantaged population. Medicaid coverage is the primary source for this population to access health services. It is important to examine whether there is a difference in losing or regaining Medicaid eligibilities among different racial/ethnic population.

Method: Florida Medicaid eligibility data sets from FY1999-2004 will be used to examine the changes among the TANF and SSI beneficiaries of different racial/ethnic groups. Survival curves by Kaplan-Meier method is used to compared the difference in terms of chance in losing and regaining Medicaid eligibility.

Results: Preliminary findings suggest that Black and Hispanic TANF beneficiaries are less likely to loss and more likely to regain eligibilities compared to White TANF beneficiaries. Though, Native American and Asian American have similar rates as White TANF beneficiaries in losing their eligibilities, they are less likely (20% and 18%, respectively) to regain their eligibilities compared to White TANF beneficiaries.

Implications: Results suggest potential disparity in access health services by certain minority population. It is important to identify barriers and develop strategies and interventions to remove these barriers and increase accessibility for these disadvantaged minorities as well as to reduce health disparity.

Learning Objectives:

• To identify differences in change Medicaid eligibility status among different racial/ethnic groups and their effects on accessing health services.

Keywords: Medicaid, Access to Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.