Date of Conferral

1-1-2011

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Sara Hart

Abstract

This research sought to ascertain the extent to which providing public sponsored health insurance (PSHI) to previously uninsured Mexican-American Hispanics improves health outcomes among those requiring ongoing treatment to control diabetes. Prior research utilizing insurance access theory; access, equity, and health outcome interrelationship theory; health affordability theory; and financial and resource burden theory suggests the uninsured receive less care than the insured, with delayed treatment, leading to chronic conditions. This research tested each of those major theoretical constructs into a blended conceptual framework based on the notion that providing health insurance helps alleviate the disabling effects of diabetes among this population. This study used an unobtrusive, longitudinal, one group pretest-posttest design. Research questions were designed to measure the strength of the relationship between PSHI and patient health outcomes using physical examination data, laboratory results, and diagnosis of 712 diabetic patients with 5,300 medical visits over 3 years before and after enrolling for PSHI. Logistic regression was used to analyze data related to age, gender, time enrolled in PSHI, and service location relative to health outcomes. Findings support the theories that accessibility increases with the provision of health insurance but also show that health outcomes do not improve after enrollment in a PSHI. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in public health policy and administration by quantifying the strength and significance of the relationship between health insurance and health outcomes and effects positive social change by measuring the effectiveness of legislation providing the uninsured with health insurance in order to improve health outcomes.

Download

Share

 
COinS