HEALTH-INSURANCE AND UTILIZATION IN PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII PNEUMONIA

To examine the relationship between health insurance status and health services utilization among HIV-infected patients with active Pneumocy stis carinii pneumonia (PCP), the discharge and outpatient databases o f a large California medical facility were reviewed, Four hundred fift y records met the inclusion criteria, Logistic regression indicated th at those who had publicly funded insurance were about half as likely ( 95% CI 0.28, 0.99) as were those who had private insurance to undergo bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage at the time of their first PC P episodes, Further research is required to identify the reasons for t his difference.