@article {8006, title = {Cumulative inequality and racial disparities in health: private insurance coverage and black/white differences in functional limitations.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {69}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Sep}, pages = {798-808}, publisher = {69}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To test different forms of private insurance coverage as mediators for racial disparities in onset, persistent level, and acceleration of functional limitations among Medicare age-eligible Americans.

METHOD: Data come from 7 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (1996-2008). Onset and progression latent growth models were used to estimate racial differences in onset, level, and growth of functional limitations among a sample of 5,755 people aged 65 and older in 1996. Employer-provided insurance, spousal insurance, and market insurance were next added to the model to test how differences in private insurance mediated the racial gap in physical limitations.

RESULTS: In baseline models, African Americans had larger persistent level of limitations over time. Although employer-provided, spousal provided, and market insurances were directly associated with lower persistent levels of limitation, only differences in market insurance accounted for the racial disparities in persistent level of limitations.

DISCUSSION: Results suggest private insurance is important for reducing functional limitations, but market insurance is an important mediator of the persistently larger level of limitations observed among African Americans.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Black or African American, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Status Disparities, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Insurance Coverage, Insurance, Health, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Medicare, Socioeconomic factors, United States}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbu005}, url = {http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/02/24/geronb.gbu005.abstract}, author = {Ben Lennox Kail and Miles G Taylor} }