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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Huey Jen Chen, PhD, ARNP, Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, (813) 974-7409, chen@fmhi.usf.edu, Shabnam Mehra, MSPH, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, and Ren Chen, MS, Department of Mental Health Law & Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Insitute, University of South Florida, 13301Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612.

Purpose: To examine the racial/ethnic disparity in service utilization of a Medicaid disabled population.

In theory, once individuals become eligible for Medicaid, they are able to access any health services covered by the Medicaid plan. This is not always the case. Previous Medicaid health services evaluation in Florida revealed that 15% to 20% of individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI) did not use any Medicaid-billed mental health services. This study examined differences in service penetration rates among Medicaid SSI beneficiaries of different racial/ethnic groups in a Medicaid service area.

Method: The study employed analyses of secondary data, using Medicaid eligibility and Medicaid claims data, to examine differences in service utilization among different racial/ethnic groups. Medicaid SSI beneficiaries without dual eligibility for Medicare between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003 were included in the study.

Results: Minority adults, both Black and Hispanic, were less likely to use any mental health services compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Minority children were also less likely to use outpatient mental health services while Hispanic children were more likely to use mental health emergency services compared to non-Hispanic White children. Additional results on differences in service utilizations between minority and Whites will also be presented and discussed.

Implications: There are significant evidences indicate the existing of racial-ethnic disparity in the study area. It is important to identify and address the racial-ethnic specific barriers in order to eliminate racial-ethnic disparity.

Learning Objectives:

• to recognize the existance of racial-ethnic disparity in a Medicaid population.
• to identify differences in health services, both physical health and mental health care, utilization between minorities and Whites.

Keywords: Access and Services, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered