TABLE 2—
Use and Expense for Health Center Patients Compared With Matched Non–Health Center Patients: United States, 2009
| Variable | Non–Health Center (n = 144 075), Estimate (95% CI) | Health Center (n = 144 075), Estimate (95% CI) | Difference,a % (95% CI) |
| Primary care | |||
| Visits, no. | 8.2 (8.2, 8.3) | 7.6 (7.6, 7.7) | −7 (–8, −7) |
| Spending, $ | 1845 (1815, 1876) | 1430 (1418, 1442) | −23 (–24, −21) |
| Other outpatient careb | |||
| Visits, no. | 15.7 (15.5, 15.9) | 12.2 (12.0, 12.4) | −22 (–24, −21) |
| Spending, $ | 2948 (2900, 2996) | 1964 (1930, 2000) | −33 (–35, −32) |
| Prescription drug spending, $ | 2704 (2664, 2744) | 2324 (2296, 2352) | −14 (–16, −12) |
| Emergency department | |||
| Visits, no. | 1.3 (1.3, 1.4) | 1.2 (1.2, 1.2) | −11 (–13, −10) |
| Spending, $ | 244 (240, 247) | 216 (213, 219) | −11 (–13, −10) |
| Inpatient | |||
| Admissions, no. | 0.25 (0.25, 0.26) | 0.19 (0.19, 0.20) | −25 (–27, −22) |
| Length of stay,c d | 1.1 (1.1, 1.2) | 0.8 (0.8, 0.9) | −26 (–29, −23) |
| Spending, $ | 2047 (1987, 2114) | 1496 (1446, 1548) | −27 (–30, −24) |
| Total spending, $ | 9889 (9784, 9996) | 7518 (7440, 7597) | −24 (–25, −23) |
Note. CI = confidence interval. Primary care setting is determined by where > 50% of primary care visits occur. Use and spending is expressed in annual values per patient. Each health center patient was matched with 1 non–health center patient on the basis of the logit of propensity score, which was estimated using a logistic regression adjusting for patient demographics (age, race/ethnicity, gender), insurance characteristics (Medicaid eligibility category, months of eligibility, Temporary Aid for Needy Families program beneficiary indicator), disease burden (on the basis of binary disease diagnosis variables from the Chronic Illness and Disability Payment System), state, residence in a metropolitan statistical area, and distance from the closest health center delivery site.
A negative percentage difference reflects lower health center utilization or spending.
Other outpatient care is defined as all nonprimary care, nontransportation, and nondental outpatient claims activity.
Total annualized inpatient length of stay in days.