Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts examined inequalities of care among their 1.3 million members in 2019. Here are the measures with the biggest difference in performance by group
White vs. Asian
| Measure | Asian | White | %-point difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid use disorder treatments with adherence to a program for at least 180 days (ages 16+) | 68.0% | 85.6% | 17.6 |
| Members with persistent asthma who took appropriate medications at least 75% of the time (ages 5-64) | 33.1% | 50.2% | 17.1 |
| Members with persistent asthma who took appropriate medications at least 50% of the time (ages 5-64) | 54.1% | 70.7% | 16.6 |
| Adult members with diabetes who took their statin medication at least 80% of the time (ages 40-75) | 71.0% | 78.1% | 7.1 |
| Members newly diagnosed with alcohol or other drug dependence who started treatment within 14 days (ages 13+) | 31.2% | 38.3% | 7.1 |
White vs. Black
| Measure | Black | White | %-point difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members diagnosed with mental illness who received follow-up care within 30 days of being in the emergency department (ages 6+) | 50.0% | 73.2% | 23.2 |
| Adult members with diabetes who took their statin medication at least 80% of the time (ages 40-75) | 58.1% | 78.1% | 20.0 |
| Members diagnosed with mental illness who received follow-up care within 7 days of being in the emergency department (ages 6+) | 60.9% | 80.9% | 20.0 |
| Members with persistent asthma who took appropriate medications at least 75% of the time (ages 5-64) | 32.0% | 50.2% | 18.2 |
| Adult members who remained on an antidepressant medication for at least 12 weeks after filling their initial prescription (ages 18+) | 55.2% | 72.1% | 16.9 |
White vs. Hispanic
| Measure | Hispanic | White | %-point difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult members who remained on an antidepressant medication for at least 6 months after filling their initial prescription (ages 18+) | 36.7% | 59.3% | 22.6 |
| Adult members who remained on an antidepressant medication for at least 12 weeks after filling their initial prescription (ages 18+) | 52.0% | 72.1% | 20.1 |
| Adult members with diabetes who took their statin medication at least 80% of the time (ages 40-75) | 58.3% | 78.1% | 19.8 |
| Members hospitalized for mental illness who received follow-up care within 30 days of being discharged (ages 6+) | 43.7% | 62.4% | 18.7 |
| Members diagnosed with mental illness who received follow-up care within 30 days of being in the emergency department (ages 6+) | 58.3% | 73.2% | 14.9 |
| Measure | Asian | Black | Hispanic | White | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Members newly diagnosed with alcohol or other drug dependence who had two or more additional services within 34 days (ages 13+) | 7.1% | 9.3% | 9.7% | 12.4% | 9.6% |
| Members newly diagnosed with alcohol or other drug dependence who started treatment within 14 days (ages 13+) | 31.2% | 41.3% | 35.9% | 38.3% | 36.7% |
| Members with persistent asthma who took appropriate medications at least 75% of the time (ages 5-64) | 33.1% | 32.0% | 41.1% | 50.2% | 39.1% |
| Adult members who remained on an antidepressant medication for at least 6 months after filling their initial prescription (ages 18+) | 54.7% | 43.7% | 36.7% | 59.3% | 48.6% |
| Members with persistent asthma who took appropriate medications at least 50% of the time (ages 5-64) | 54.1% | 54.9% | 63.6% | 70.7% | 60.8% |