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Flu disparityBy: Dr Kim
Mulvihill San Francisco, CA, USA --
It's almost time for the annual flu shot, something that is particularly
important for people 65 and older. A study out today takes a closer look
at who is getting the vaccine, and who is not. Patients eligible for
Medicare can choose between a traditional fee-for-service plan or join a
managed care program. So how do these options measure up? Do managed care
plans provide better care at a lower cost? To help answer these questions
researchers from Harvard looked at something as simple as a flu shot, a
good choice since it's recommended for anyone 65 or older. As reported in the Journal
of the American Medical Association, managed care plans did a better job
at delivering flu shots than traditional Medicare plans. However,
researchers found African-American seniors are at a disadvantage no matter
what type of Medicare plan they choose. Previous studies have found similar racial differences in other services including heart surgery or kidney transplants. While the researchers didn't examine the reasons for this disparity, they say outreach programs are needed to improve care for minority patients The study is particularly
important in light of a recent report from the CDC that found life
expectancy is more than six years less for African-Americans than for
whites. There are already warnings
of delays in getting the flu vaccine this season. Health experts are
trying to devise a plan to make sure that high-risk groups, such as the
elderly, are able to get their shots first. |
