Results from the PDF Access Survey
July, 2000
| Service Utilization and Insurance Coverage | ||||
| Below are initial results from a 1999 mail survey of Parkinson's Patients on the mailing list of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. Data show the range of services used by these persons with Parkinson's (PWP) in the past year and the proportion of those services which had some form of insurance coverage for those services (not necessarily complete coverage). | ||||
| Prescription Drugs are the treatments most often used by these PWP (88.8%), while surgery and long term residential care are the services least often used. Insurance provides coverage for high proportions of respondents who use medical care and rehabilitation services (80-90% range); it especially covers the more expensive surgical treatments and other acute care needs which are less often used by PWP. Fewer than 50% off respondents have coverage for a range of long term care services used by PWP. | ||||
| Respondents to this survey are highly educated (47% completed college), predominantly white (91.8%), and retired (76.8%). As such they are likely to be a more informed and have better access to care than the general population of PWP. | ||||
| Services Use and Insurance Coverage | ||||
| Type of PD Services | # Resp | % used | # covered | %-covered |
| 1. Treatment for PD by Primary Care Physician | 1488 | 50.4% | 1327 | 89.2% |
| 2. Treatment for PD by a General Neurologist | 2047 | 69.4% | 1808 | 88.3% |
| 3. Treatment for PD by a Movement Disorder (Parkinson's Disease) Specialist | 1032 | 35.0% | 900 | 87.2% |
| 4. Surgical treatment for PD (e.g. pallidotomy, deep brain stimulation) | 99 | 3.4% | 89 | 89.9% |
| 5. Treatment for PD by other Specialist (e.g. psychiatry, eye or digestion) | 489 | 16.6% | 422 | 86.3% |
| 6. Treatment for PD with Prescription Drugs | 2621 | 88.8% | 1751 | 66.8% |
| 7. Health or social services coordinator or case manager | 291 | 9.9% | 214 | 73.5% |
| 8. Counseling services in such areas as diet, nutrition, and alternative therapy or personal and occupational issues (medical services, financial, legal) | 328 | 11.1% | 226 | 68.9% |
| 9. Rehabilitative services (Physical, Occupational, or Speech Therapy) | 829 | 28.1% | 691 | 83.4% |
| 10. Adult Day Care / Senior Citizen Center or Recreation/Exercise Program | 251 | 8.5% | 72 | 28.7% |
| 11. Home Health (Skilled nursing care) or Home Help (Personal care assistance, home health assistance, home delivered meals) | 481 | 16.3% | 221 | 45.9% |
| 12. Assisted Living Facility, Congregate Housing, or Group Home | 106 | 3.6% | 36 | 34.0% |
| 13. Nursing Home, Long Term Residential Care | 213 | 7.2% | 104 | 48.8% |
| 14. Acute Care - Emergency Room Care, Hospital Stay, or Extended Care | 439 | 14.9% | 409 | 93.2% |
| Total # Respondents | 2950 | |||
Program Overview .. Research Agenda .. Program Methods .. Program Management
Status of Parkinson's Care .. Cost Study Highlights .. EPDA Presentation
PD Access Survey .. Preliminary Results