Access and Satisfaction Within the Disabled Medicare Population

Little is known about variations in the levels of access and satisfaction within the disabled Medicare population. Based on the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), beneficiaries under 65 years of age were classified by original reason for disability (mental versus physical). Those with a mental disability were less likely to have a private physician as a usual source; were less satisfied with the overall quality of care, availability of after-hours care, followup care, and coordination of care; and were more likely to report unmet need, owing in large part to supply barriers. Implications for the current delivery system and for design of managed care programs are discussed.