Physician reimbursement levels and adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics well-visit and immunization recommendations.

Background: There is concern that commercial health insurance reimbursement levels for immunizations and well-child visits may not be meeting the delivery and practice overhead costs within some areas of the country. There is also concern that insufficient physician reimbursement levels may negatively affect the quality of children's health care.

Objective: We examined the relationships between commercial health insurance reimbursement levels to physicians for pediatric services and rates of immunization and well visits for children and adolescents.

Research exposure during pediatric residency: influence on career expectations.

Objectives: To examine pediatric residents' research experiences during residency and to explore whether residents' attitudes toward research are related to their decision to pursue subspecialty fellowships.

Study Design: A national random sample of 500 PL-3 pediatric residents completing training in 2001 was surveyed. Responses were obtained from 318 residents (64%).

Pediatric training and job market trends: results from the American Academy of Pediatrics third-year resident survey, 1997-2002.

Objectives: To examine trends in pediatric residents' training and job search experiences from 1997-2002.

Methods: Annual national random samples of 500 graduating pediatric residents were surveyed, and responses were compared across survey years to identify trends. The overall response rate was 71%.

Uninsured children: how we count matters.

Background: Because children uninsured for less than a full year are often reported as insured, they receive less attention in health policy debates than do the full-year uninsured and are underrecognized as potential users of public insurance programs.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact on estimates of how many US children are uninsured when alternatives to the full-year uninsured definition are used.

Methods: Monthly health insurance coverage data collected from children through age 18 in the 1999 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey were analyzed to estimate prevalence of health insurance gaps among children in terms of the size of part-year and full-year uninsured child population, duration of uninsured gaps, and aggregate uninsured spells.

Medicaid participation by private and safety net pediatricians, 1993 and 2000.

Background: Eligibility expansions and managed care growth were 2 major forces shaping the Medicaid program during the 1990s. Although Medicaid managed care was introduced to contain rising costs of growing enrollment and expenditures, it also offered states an opportunity to improve enrollees' access to mainstream health care providers. By enrolling in commercial managed care plans, they could gain access to private office-based physicians, thus eliminating a 2-tiered health care system.