Summary
The study examined the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance expansion on reducing disparities in treatment and medication use among Mexican-heritage Latinos with hypertension. Using the 2009-2014 California Health Interview Survey, the study authors examine health care access, utilization, and medication use among Mexican-heritage Latinos and non-Latino whites with hypertension.
The study reports that among those with hypertension, the full implementation of the ACA (year 2014) is associated with a greater likelihood of being insured, but the race/ethnicity interaction indicates that this gain is less substantial for Mexican-heritage Latinos. The odds of having a usual source of care other than the emergency department increased after the passage of the ACA, and interaction effects indicate that this gain was more substantial for Mexican-heritage Latinos. The odds of having any physician visit and taking blood pressure mediations decreased among non-Latino whites but increased among Mexican-heritage Latinos.
Publication Authors:
- Ryan M. McKenna
- Héctor E. Alcalá
- Félice Lê-Scherban
- Dylan H. Roby, PhD
- Alexander N. Ortega