Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Access to electrophysiologic care for Medicare beneficiaries across the United States: Travel distance and time to nearest clinician, 2013–2020
Authors' conclusion
There are demographic and geographic disparities in access to interventional electrophysiologic care among Medicare beneficiaries in the US, with lower access among residents of rural areas and socio-economically disadvantaged groups.
Study context
- Population
- Medicare beneficiaries in the United States (US); centers providing pacemaker implantation and atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation
- Outcome
- Providers and centers performing pacemaker implantation and AF ablation
- Follow-up
- 2020
Methodological detailsmultivariable logistic regression models, Google Maps application programming interface
- Multivariable logistic regression models
- Google Maps application programming interface
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Medicare providers performing pacemaker implantations
3022
Centers for pacemaker implantation
1392
Providers performing AF ablations
1661
Centers for AF ablation
852
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
US counties with facilities
- Counties with facilities performing pacemaker implantation
- 20%
- Counties with sites offering AF ablation
- 16%
Counties where individuals needed to drive ≥1 hour
- Pacemaker implantation
- 45%
- AF ablation
- 50%
Factors associated with longer travel times
- Non-urban zip codes
- Higher percentage of Hispanic residents
- Less than high school education
- Median annual income <$59,000
Original publication
Access to electrophysiologic care for Medicare beneficiaries across the United States: Travel distance and time to nearest clinician, 2013–2020. Heart Rhythm. Published 9 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →