African Americans and dual eligibles make up a smaller percentage of patients at ASCs compared to hospital outpatient departments, according to a Medicare Payment Advisory Commission analysis of Medicare claims from 2016.
The variation "may be linked to differences in the geographic locations of ASCs and hospitals, the lower rate of supplemental coverage among African Americans, the higher proportion of African Americans who are dually eligible and the relatively high share of African Americans who use HOPDs or emergency departments as their usual source of care," the report said.
Here are additional differences in patient demographics between ASCs and HOPDs, as percentages of beneficiaries. All of the differences between ASC and HOPD percentages are statistically significant.
Medicaid status: not dually eligible
1. ASC: 87.0
2. HOPD: 78.8
Medicaid status: dually eligible
3. ASC: 13
4. HOPD: 21.2
White
5. ASC: 86.6
6. HOPD: 83.1
African American
7. ASC: 6.8
8. HOPD: 10.1
Other race/ethnicity
9. ASC: 6.6
10. HOPD: 6.8
Under 65
11. ASC: 14.0
12. HOPD: 21.2
65 to 84
13. ASC: 80.2
14. HOPD: 70.2
85 or older
15. ASC: 5.9
16. HOPD: 8.6
Male
17. ASC: 42.8
18. HOPD: 44.8
Female
19. ASC: 57.2
20. HOPD: 55.2