Characteristics of a National Sample of Elderly, Community-Dwelling, non-HMO, Medicare Beneficiaries*
| Characteristics | Minority (n = 2187) | White (n = 13,775) | P Value (for χ2 or t test) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | <.0001 | ||
| 65 to 69 | 25.0 | 20.2 | |
| 70 to 74 | 21.7 | 21.8 | |
| 75 to 79 | 19.7 | 21.7 | |
| 80 to 84 | 15.6 | 20.3 | |
| 85+ | 18.1 | 15.9 | |
| Sex | <.0001 | ||
| Male | 38.4 | 43.4 | |
| Female | 61.6 | 56.7 | |
| Education | <.0001 | ||
| Less than high school graduate | 61.9 | 28.8 | |
| At least high school graduate | 38.1 | 71.2 | |
| Metropolitan area | <.0001 | ||
| No | 23.5 | 32.9 | |
| Yes | 76.5 | 67.1 | |
| Income | <.0001 | ||
| ≤25,000 annual | 85.4 | 57.6 | |
| >25,000 annual | 14.6 | 42.4 | |
| Lives alone | <.1585 | ||
| No | 67.1 | 65.6 | |
| Yes | 32.9 | 34.4 | |
| Proxy responded | <.0001 | ||
| No | 84.6 | 92.2 | |
| Yes | 15.4 | 7.9 | |
| Supplemental insurance | <.0001 | ||
| None | 23.1 | 12.8 | |
| Medicaid | 35.5 | 6.1 | |
| Private insurance | 41.4 | 81.1 | |
| Number of primary care office visits | <.0001 | ||
| None | 36.7 | 28.9 | |
| 1 to 2 | 20.5 | 26.8 | |
| 3 or more | 42.8 | 44.3 | |
| Activities of Daily Living† | 1.8 | 1.6 | <.0001 |
| Self-assessed health status‡ | 3.1 | 2.7 | <.0001 |
* Data derived from Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (Access to Care), 1998 to 2002.
† On a 3-point scale, with higher scores indicating more impairment.
‡ On a 5-point scale, with higher scores indicating poorer health.