National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 4 of 4 Research Studies DisplayedSteenland MW, Wherry LR
Medicaid expansion led to reductions in postpartum hospitalizations.
The purpose of this study was to assess whether the Medicaid expansions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affected rates of postpartum hospitalization. The researchers compared states that did and did not expand Medicaid under the ACA as they related to changes in hospitalizations among birthing people with a Medicaid-financed delivery. The study found a 17% reduction in hospitalizations during the first 60 days postpartum associated with the Medicaid expansions, and evidence of a lesser decrease in hospitalizations between 61 days and 6 months postpartum. The researchers concluded that Medicaid coverage expansion under the ACA resulted in improved postpartum health for low-income birthing people.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464.
Citation: Steenland MW, Wherry LR .
Medicaid expansion led to reductions in postpartum hospitalizations.
Health Aff 2023 Jan; 42(1):18-25. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00819..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicaid, Hospitalization, Maternal Care, Women, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Moriya AS, Chakravarty S
AHRQ Author: Moriya AS
Racial and ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits five years after ACA Medicaid expansions,.
This AHRQ-authored paper examined whether the 2014 Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions mitigated existing racial or ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits. The authors used inpatient data from twenty-nine states and ED data from twenty-six states for the period 2011 to 2018. They found that Medicaid expansions decreased disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits between non-Hispanic Black and White nonelderly adults by 10 percent or more. There were no significant effects on disparities between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White nonelderly adults. Their findings highlight sustained improvements in community-level care for non-Hispanic Black populations, but also suggest access barriers experienced by Hispanic adults that need to be addressed beyond Medicaid eligibility expansion.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Moriya AS, Chakravarty S .
Racial and ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits five years after ACA Medicaid expansions,.
Health Aff 2023 Jan; 42(1):26-34. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00460..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Disparities, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Pickens G, Karaca Z, Cutler E
AHRQ Author: Karaca Z, Wong HS
Changes in hospital inpatient utilization following health care reform.
The purpose of this retrospective study was to estimate the effects of 2014 Medicaid expansions on inpatient outcomes using population and unemployment data from HCUP’s State Inpatient Databases. Outcomes included total admissions, referral-sensitive surgical and preventable admissions, length of stay, cost, and severity of patient illness. The authors conclude that Medicaid expansions did not change all-payer admission volumes, but expansions were associated with increased Medicaid and decreased uninsured volumes. The results of the study suggest that previously uninsured persons with a greater need for inpatient services were the most likely to gain coverage.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Pickens G, Karaca Z, Cutler E .
Changes in hospital inpatient utilization following health care reform.
Health Serv Res 2018 Jun 30;53(4):2446-69. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12734..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Medicaid, Policy
Hellinger FJ
AHRQ Author: Hellinger FJ
In four ACA expansion states, the percentage of uninsured hospitalizations for people with HIV declined, 2012-14.
This study examines the influence of the Affordable Care Act's optional state Medicaid expansion on insurance coverage and health outcomes for hospitalized patients with HIV. It found that the percentage of hospitalizations of uninsured people with HIV in the four expansion states fell from 13.7 percent to 5.5 percent in the study period, while the percentage in the two nonexpanding states increased from 14.5 percent to 15.7 percent.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hellinger FJ .
In four ACA expansion states, the percentage of uninsured hospitalizations for people with HIV declined, 2012-14.
Health Aff 2015 Dec;34(12):2061-8. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0718..
Keywords: Policy, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Medicaid, Uninsured