Implications of Regional Differences in Spending
Authors: Rudolph J. Mueller
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Letters20 January 2004Implications of Regional Differences in SpendingRudolph J. Mueller, MDRudolph J. Mueller, MDFrom State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, Jamestown, NY 14701.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-140-2-200401200-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Fisher and colleagues' study (1) questioned “the notion that additional growth in health care spending is primarily driven by advances in science and technology …” in the United States. Shine's accompanying editorial (2) suggested that “poorer access to care may increase costs.” I agree and offer further evidence to support their statements.When the uninsured population and Medicare costs are examined in the 50 states (Table 1), higher uninsured rates (3) correlate with higher per capita Medicare costs (4). In addition, states with the largest percentage of uninsured people have nearly 50% more per capita Medicare expenditures ...References1. Fisher ES, Wennberg DE, Stukel TA, Gottlieb DJ, Lucas FL, Pinder EL. The implications of regional variations in Medicare spending. Part 1: the content, quality, and accessibility of care. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:273-87. [PMID: 12585825] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Shine KI. Geographical variations in Medicare spending [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:347-8. [PMID: 12585834] LinkGoogle Scholar3. www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/statab/sec03.pdf. No. 171, page 118. Accessed on 8 December 2003. Google Scholar4. www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/statab/sec03.pdf. No.169, page 115. Accessed on 5 December 2003. Google Scholar5. Institute of Medicine, Committee on the Consequences of Uninsurance. Care without Coverage: Too Little, Too Late. Washington, DC: National Academy Pr; 2002. Google Scholar6. Mueller RJ. As Sick as It Gets—Healthcare in America. Dunkirk, NY: Olin-Frederick; 2003. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Rudolph J. Mueller, MDAffiliations: From State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, Jamestown, NY 14701. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Implications of Regional Variations in Medicare Spending. Part 1: The Content, Quality, and Accessibility of Care Elliott S. Fisher , David E. Wennberg , Thrse A. Stukel , Daniel J. Gottlieb , F. L. Lucas , and Étoile L. Pinder Geographical Variations in Medicare Spending Kenneth I. Shine Implications of Regional Differences in Spending Barry Kisloff Implications of Regional Differences in Spending Howard A. Levin Implications of Regional Differences in Spending Rudy Fernandes Implications of Regional Differences in Spending George L. Weber Implications of Regional Differences in Spending Hyman Gaylis Implications of Regional Differences in Spending Franklin Gaylis Implications of Regional Differences in Spending Elliott S. Fisher , Dan Gottlieb , and David Wennberg Metrics 20 January 2004Volume 140, Issue 2Page: 145KeywordsFallsGraduate medical educationHealth careHealth insuranceMedicareQuality improvement ePublished: 20 January 2004 Issue Published: 20 January 2004 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...