Colorectal cancer patients dually eligible for VA and medicare health benefits: Improved health outcomes or increased health disparities?

Abstract

Many individuals are concurrently eligible for multiple sources of government-reimbursed health care services (e.g. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Medicare). Unclear is whether combined eligibility translates into increased access to care and/or improved outcomes of care. Alternatively continuity of care may suffer, promoting health inequalities when patients receive health services from multiple unrelated sources of care. The current study examines the impact of dual eligibility for government-reimbursed care on long-term outcomes of care for a population of veterans diagnosed with colorectal cancer and initially treated surgically at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

Citation

Virgo, K.S., Valentine, M.P., Dauz, L.C., Marietta, L.H., Adams, B.S., Devarajan, S., Longo, W.E. and Johnson, F.E. (2007), "Colorectal cancer patients dually eligible for VA and medicare health benefits: Improved health outcomes or increased health disparities?", Jacobs Kronenfeld, J. (Ed.) Inequalities and Disparities in Health Care and Health: Concerns of Patients, Providers and Insurers (Research in the Sociology of Health Care, Vol. 25), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 307-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0275-4959(07)00013-0