Impact of Upfront Charges on Surgery Access for Poor Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Will Kaufman, Augustine S. Chavez, Betty Skipper, Arthur Kaufman
Primary Institution: University of New Mexico
Hypothesis
Does the requirement of a 50% upfront payment for elective surgeries affect access for self-pay patients compared to insured patients?
Conclusion
Self-pay patients are significantly more likely to cancel elective surgeries for financial reasons than insured patients due to the hospital's upfront payment policy.
Supporting Evidence
- 55.6% of self-pay patients canceled for financial reasons compared to 9.3% of insured patients.
- 76.4% of self-pay cancellations for financial reasons were due to inability to pay the upfront fee.
- Self-pay minority patients were 8.61 times more likely to cancel for financial reasons than insured non-Hispanic whites.
Takeaway
If you don't have insurance and need surgery, you might have to pay a lot of money upfront, which can make it hard to go through with the surgery.
Methodology
The study used chi-square tests and multivariate binomial regression to analyze cancellation records of elective surgeries.
Potential Biases
Data collection was subjective, relying on the judgment of the authors.
Limitations
Cancellation records were incomplete and did not standardize reasons for cancellation, leading to many unknowns.
Participant Demographics
The majority of participants were self-pay and insured patients, with a significant portion being ethnic or racial minorities.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.0001
Confidence Interval
(4.09, 18.80)
Statistical Significance
p < 0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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