Quality of care for women undergoing a hysterectomy: Effects of insurance and race/ethnicity

Objective. We assessed the quality of hospital care for women who underwent a hysterectomy to compare Medicaid-covered women with privately insured women and minority women with White women. Methods. We evaluated medical decisions, inpatient care, quality of inpatient care, and outcomes. Results. Quality of hospital care was equivalent for Medicaid-covered women compared with privately insured women and for non-Hispanic Black women compared with White women. Medicaid-covered women (40%) and Black women (68%) were more likely to have a complication compared with privately insured women and White women, respectively. Conclusions. Increased complications after hysterectomy may result in increased economic burdens to Medicaid. Further studies of the racial/ethnic and sociodemographic issues are needed so that disparities may be adequately addressed.