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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 21 of 21 Research Studies DisplayedHassmiller Lich K, O'Leary MC, Nambiar S
Estimating the impact of insurance expansion on colorectal cancer and related costs in North Carolina: a population-level simulation analysis.
Researchers used microsimulation to estimate the health and financial effects of insurance expansion and reduction scenarios in North Carolina (NC) for colorectal cancer screening (CRC). The full lifetime of a simulated population of residents age-eligible for CRC screening (aged 50-75) during a 5-year period were simulated. Findings indicate that the estimated cost savings--balancing increased CRC screening/testing costs against decreased cancer treatment costs--were approximately $30 M and $970 M for Medicaid expansion and Medicare-for-all scenarios, respectively, compared to status quo. The researchers concluded that insurance expansion will likely improve CRC screening both overall and in underserved populations while saving money, with the largest savings realized by Medicare.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Hassmiller Lich K, O'Leary MC, Nambiar S .
Estimating the impact of insurance expansion on colorectal cancer and related costs in North Carolina: a population-level simulation analysis.
Prev Med 2019 Dec;129s:105847. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105847..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Cancer: Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Healthcare Costs, Screening, Prevention, Medicaid, Medicare, Policy, Access to Care
Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Qi M
The impact of Medicare copayments for skilled nursing facilities on length of stay, outcomes, and costs.
The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Medicare's skilled nursing facility (SNF) copayment policy, with a large increase in the daily copayment rate on the 20th day of a benefit period, on length of stay, patient outcomes, and costs. The investigators concluded that Medicare's SNF copayment policy was associated with shorter lengths of stay and worse patient outcomes, suggesting the copayment policy had unintended and negative effects on patient outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation: Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Qi M .
The impact of Medicare copayments for skilled nursing facilities on length of stay, outcomes, and costs.
Health Serv Res 2019 Dec;54(6):1184-92. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13227..
Keywords: Medicare, Nursing Homes, Payment, Long-Term Care, Healthcare Costs, Elderly, Hospitalization, Hospital Discharge
Jacobs PD, Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD, Selden TM
Changes in the equity of US health care financing in the period 2005-16.
This study examined changes in how households pay for health care spending in the United States from 2005 to 2016. At the start of the study period, households in the bottom 20% of income paid 26.8% of their income for health care compared to about half that amount for those with income in the top 1 percent. By 2016 the percentages had become about the same across all income levels. This result reflected increases in coverage through Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jacobs PD, Selden TM .
Changes in the equity of US health care financing in the period 2005-16.
Health Aff 2019 Nov;38(11):1791-800. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00625..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medicare, Policy
Chhabra KR, Nuliyalu U, Dimick JB
Who will be the costliest patients? Using recent claims to predict expensive surgical episodes.
Researchers studied the effects of surgeon and hospital characteristics on surgical expenditures using Medicare claims data. They found that a significant proportion of surgical spending can be predicted using patient factors on the basis of readily available claims data and recommended adjusting for patient factors to facilitate future research on unwarranted variation in episode payments driven by surgeons, hospitals, or other market forces.
AHRQ-funded; HS024763; HS000053.
Citation: Chhabra KR, Nuliyalu U, Dimick JB .
Who will be the costliest patients? Using recent claims to predict expensive surgical episodes.
Med Care 2019 Nov;57(11):869-74. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001204..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Surgery, Medicare
Sukul D, Ryan AM, Yan P
Cardiologist participation in accountable care organizations and changes in spending and quality for Medicare patients with cardiovascular disease.
Despite widespread adoption of Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs), healthcare spending reductions have been modest. This may relate to variable participation in ACOs by specialist physicians, who disproportionately drive spending. In this study, the investigators analyzed national Medicare data to examine whether specialist participation in Medicare ACOs was associated with changes in healthcare spending and clinical quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS024728; HS025615; HS024525.
Citation: Sukul D, Ryan AM, Yan P .
Cardiologist participation in accountable care organizations and changes in spending and quality for Medicare patients with cardiovascular disease.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2019 Sep;12(9):e005438. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.118.005438..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Healthcare Costs, Heart Disease and Health, Medicare, Quality of Care
Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ
Prevalence and cost of care cascades after low-value preoperative electrocardiogram for cataract surgery in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries.
This study examined the use and outcomes of preoperative electrocardiogram (EKG) for cataract surgery recipients on Medicare. The outcomes measured were cascade events if the EKG results were problematic. The study compared 110,183 cataract surgery recipients with 97,775 non-surgery participants (63.1% female). For the recipient group, 12,408 (11.3%) received a preoperative EKG (65.6% of them were female). Of those, 1978 (15.9%) had at least 1 potential cascade event. Additional tests, treatments, and cardiology visits added an additional estimated $35 million in addition to the $3.2 million spent on preoperative EKGs. Preoperative EKG recipients who were older, had more chronic conditions, lived in more cardiologist-dense areas, or had their EKG performed by a cardiac specialist rather than a primary care physician were more likely to experience a cascade event.
AHRQ-funded; HS023812.
Citation: Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ .
Prevalence and cost of care cascades after low-value preoperative electrocardiogram for cataract surgery in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Sep;179(9):1157-308. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1739..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Healthcare Utilization, Surgery, Elderly
Regenbogen SE, Cain-Nielsen AH, Syrjamaki JD
Spending on postacute care after hospitalization in commercial insurance and Medicare around age sixty-five.
Postacute care costs are the primary determinant of episode spending around hospitalization. Yet there is little evidence that greater spending on postacute care improves readmission rates or functional recovery. In a population-based, statewide collaborative of Michigan hospitals, the investigators used regression discontinuity design among propensity-weighted, age-adjusted cohorts to compare postacute care spending between patients with commercial insurance and those with Medicare around age sixty-five. This paper describes the study.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Regenbogen SE, Cain-Nielsen AH, Syrjamaki JD .
Spending on postacute care after hospitalization in commercial insurance and Medicare around age sixty-five.
Health Aff 2019 Sep;38(9):1505-13. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05445..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medicare, Hospitalization
Song LD, Newhouse JP, Garcia-De-Albeniz X
Changes in screening colonoscopy following Medicare reimbursement and cost-sharing changes.
This study examined changes in screening colonoscopy rates after Medicare reimbursement and cost-sharing changed when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented. A 20% random sample of fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare claims from 2002-2012 was used in this study. Screening colonoscopy rates did increase after 2001 when cost-sharing was eliminated but the amount varied depending on the algorithm used to classify the indication.
AHRQ-funded; HS023128.
Citation: Song LD, Newhouse JP, Garcia-De-Albeniz X .
Changes in screening colonoscopy following Medicare reimbursement and cost-sharing changes.
Health Serv Res 2019 Aug;54(4):839-50. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13150..
Keywords: Colonoscopy, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Medicare, Payment, Prevention, Screening
Markovitz AA, Hollingsworth JM, Ayanian JZ
Performance in the Medicare Shared Savings Program after accounting for nonrandom exit: an instrumental variable analysis.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) on spending and quality while accounting for clinicians' nonrandom exit. MSSP ACO participants were compared with control beneficiaries using adjusted longitudinal models that accounted for secular trends, market factors, and beneficiary characteristics. Results showed that, after adjustment for clinicians' nonrandom exit, the MSSP was not associated with improvements in spending or quality. Selection effects, including exit of high-cost clinicians, may drive estimates of savings in the MSSP.
AHRQ-funded; HS025615; HS024728; HS024525.
Citation: Markovitz AA, Hollingsworth JM, Ayanian JZ .
Performance in the Medicare Shared Savings Program after accounting for nonrandom exit: an instrumental variable analysis.
Ann Intern Med 2019 Jul 2;171(1):27-36. doi: 10.7326/m18-2539..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Services Research (HSR), Medicare, Quality of Care
Markovitz AA, Mullangi S, Hollingsworth JM
ACOs and the 1%: changes in spending among high-cost patients following the Medicare shared savings program.
This paper analyzed changes in spending among high-cost patients following the creation of accountable care organizations (ACOs), specifically for the Medicare Shared Savings Program – which is Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) flagship program. Changes in spending for Medicare fee-for-services were analyzed for different spending percentiles (50th, 90th, and 99th) as well as regionally. While there was a reduction in spending, it was not considered statistically significant and has not affected spending within or across regions. However, the authors note that the study is limited by the program’s voluntary nature and may be not a full reflection of the changes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024525; HS024728; HS025615.
Citation: Markovitz AA, Mullangi S, Hollingsworth JM .
ACOs and the 1%: changes in spending among high-cost patients following the Medicare shared savings program.
J Gen Intern Med 2019 Jul;34(7):1116-18. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-04963-2..
Keywords: Medicare, Healthcare Costs, Payment
Reid R, Damberg C, Friedberg MW
Primary care spending in the fee-for-service Medicare population.
This research letter examine primary care spending in the fee-for-service Medicare population the US for 2015. Data was analyzed for all Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older with 12 months of Part A and B fee-for-service medical coverage and Part D prescription cover. They used narrow and broad definitions of primary care practitioners (PCPs) and primary care services. The narrow definition only included physicians, while the broader definition included care by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, geriatric medicine and gynecology. Both definitions did not include care in hospitals. Primary care spending was analyzed for over 16 million beneficiaries, and spending represented 2.12% of total medical and prescription spending for the narrow definitions and 4.88% for the broad definitions. Spending was lower among older beneficiaries, black or North American Native, dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and those with chronic conditions. Spending also varied state to state ranging from 1.59% in North Dakota to 4.74% in Iowa.
AHRQ-funded; HS024067.
Citation: Reid R, Damberg C, Friedberg MW .
Primary care spending in the fee-for-service Medicare population.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Jul;179(7):977-80. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.8747..
Keywords: Elderly, Medicare, Primary Care, Healthcare Costs
Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Regenbogen SE
How patient complexity and surgical approach influence episode-based payment models for colectomy.
This study looked into how the use of bundled payment programs would affect hospital reimbursements for colectomies. National data from the 100% Medicare Provider Analysis and Review files for the years 2010 to 2014 was used. Patients undergoing colectomies were identified using diagnosis-related group codes and ICD-9, Clinical Modification codes. Reconciliation payments were simulated as the difference between actual price-standardized 90-day episode payments and estimated regional spending benchmarks. The simulated bundled payment conditions showed 51.8% of hospitals would achieve shared savings, but the average case would incur reconciliation penalties. Laparoscopies would achieve the highest savings.
AHRQ-funded; HS023597.
Citation: Sheetz KH, Dimick JB, Regenbogen SE .
How patient complexity and surgical approach influence episode-based payment models for colectomy.
Dis Colon Rectum 2019 Jun;62(6):739-46. doi: 10.1097/dcr.0000000000001372..
Keywords: Surgery, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Hospitals
Colla CH, Lewis VA, Stachowski C
Changes in use of postacute care associated with accountable care organizations in hip fracture, stroke, and pneumonia hospitalized cohorts.
In this study, researchers examined changes in more and less discretionary condition-specific postacute care use associated with Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) implementation. They found that ACOs decreased spending on postacute care by decreasing use of discretionary services. In addition, ACO implementation was associated with reduced length of stay in skilled nursing facilities, while hip fracture patients used institutional postacute settings at higher rates. The authors also observed decreases in spending, readmission days, and mortality among pneumonia patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Colla CH, Lewis VA, Stachowski C .
Changes in use of postacute care associated with accountable care organizations in hip fracture, stroke, and pneumonia hospitalized cohorts.
Med Care 2019 Jun;57(6):444-52. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001121..
Keywords: Injuries and Wounds, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Hospitalization, Medicare, Pneumonia, Stroke
Khandelwal N, White L, Curtis JR
Health insurance and out-of-pocket costs in the last year of life among decedents utilizing the ICU.
The objective of this study was to estimate out-of-pocket costs in the last year of life for individuals who required intensive care in the months prior to death and to examine how these costs vary by insurance coverage. Results showed that, across all categories of insurance coverage, out-of-pocket spending in the last 12 months of life was high and represented a significant portion of assets for many patients requiring intensive care and their families. Medicare fee-for-service alone did not insulate individuals from the financial burden of high-intensity care. Medicaid was found to provide the most complete hospital coverage of all the insurance groups, as well as significantly financing long-term care.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Khandelwal N, White L, Curtis JR .
Health insurance and out-of-pocket costs in the last year of life among decedents utilizing the ICU.
Crit Care Med 2019 Jun;47(6):749-56. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000003723..
Keywords: Critical Care, Elderly, Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Medicaid, Medicare
Borza T, Oerline MK, Skolarus TA
Association between hospital participation in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations and readmission following major surgery.
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and readmission rates following major surgery. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a 20% national Medicare sample to identify beneficiaries undergoing 1 of 7 common surgical procedures: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colectomy, cystectomy, prostatectomy, lung resection, total knee arthroplasty, and total hip arthroplasty between 2010 and 2014. Thirty-day risk-adjusted readmission rates was the primary outcome studied. Out of 2974 hospitals in the study, 389 were ACO affiliated. While rates fell for both cohorts, ACO hospitals had a higher decrease in hospitalizations over the same time period.
AHRQ-funded; HS024728; HS024525.
Citation: Borza T, Oerline MK, Skolarus TA .
Association between hospital participation in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations and readmission following major surgery.
Ann Surg 2019 May;269(5):873-78. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002737..
Keywords: Hospitals, Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Delivery
Post B, Ryan AM, Moloci NM
Physician participation in Medicare Accountable Care Organizations and spillovers in commercial spending.
The purpose of this retrospective, longitudinal study was to determine if physicians who participated in a Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) reduced spending among their commercially insured patients in Michigan. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) claims data from 2010 to 2015 was used to compare patients who experienced a significant clinical episode and were seen by physicians who participated in a Medicare ACO with those whose physicians were not part of an ACO. The researchers conclude that physicians who participated in Medicare ACOs did not reduce spending among most of their commercially insured patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS024525; HS024728.
Citation: Post B, Ryan AM, Moloci NM .
Physician participation in Medicare Accountable Care Organizations and spillovers in commercial spending.
Med Care 2019 Apr;57(4):305-11. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001081..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Medicare
Wickwire EM, Tom SE, Scharf SM
Untreated insomnia increases all-cause health care utilization and costs among Medicare beneficiaries.
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of untreated insomnia on health care utilization (HCU) among a representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Insomnia was defined as the presence of at least one claim containing an insomnia-related diagnosis in any given year based on ICD-9 or at least one prescription filled for an insomnia-related medication in Part D prescription drug files. Researchers compared HCU in the year prior to insomnia diagnosis with non-sleep disordered controls during the same period. The researchers conclude that the individuals in this randomly selected, representative sample with untreated insomnia demonstrated increased HCU and costs across all points of service.
AHRQ-funded; HS024560.
Citation: Wickwire EM, Tom SE, Scharf SM .
Untreated insomnia increases all-cause health care utilization and costs among Medicare beneficiaries.
Sleep 2019 Apr;42(4). doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsz007..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Medicare, Sleep Problems
Nuti SV, Li SX, Xu X
Association of in-hospital resource utilization with post-acute spending in Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction: a cross-sectional study.
This study compared costs among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 and over hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from 2010 to 2013 in the Premiere Healthcare Database. The association of in-hospital and post-acute care resource utilization and outcomes was examined. Researchers concluded that greater resource utilization during hospitalization was not associated with meaning differences in costs or mortality rates after hospitalization.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Nuti SV, Li SX, Xu X .
Association of in-hospital resource utilization with post-acute spending in Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction: a cross-sectional study.
BMC Health Serv Res 2019 Mar 25;19(1):190. doi: 10.1186/s12913-019-4018-0..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Elderly, Healthcare Costs, Hospitalization, Medicare
Shubeck SP, Thumma JR, Dimick JB
Hot spotting as a strategy to identify high-cost surgical populations.
Prospective identification of high-cost patients, known as "hot spotting," is well developed in medical populations, but has not been performed in surgical populations. Population-based management of surgical expenditures requires identification of high-cost surgical patients to allow for effective implementation of cost-saving strategies. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of "hot spotting" in elective surgical populations. The investigators found that a subset of multimorbid patients was responsible for a disproportionate share of total Medicare spending, but the individual components of spending vary by procedure.
AHRQ-funded; HS024763.
Citation: Shubeck SP, Thumma JR, Dimick JB .
Hot spotting as a strategy to identify high-cost surgical populations.
Ann Surg 2019 Mar;269(3):453-58. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002663..
Keywords: Surgery, Healthcare Costs, Medicare
Dinan MA, Wilson LE, Reed SD
Chemotherapy costs and 21-gene recurrence score genomic testing among Medicare beneficiaries with early-stage breast cancer, 2005 to 2011.
This study examined whether associations between 21-gene recurrence score (RS) genomic testing and lower costs among patients with early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer were observable in real-world data from the Medicare population. The investigators found that RS testing was associated with lower overall and chemotherapy-related costs in patients with high-risk disease, consistent with lower chemotherapy use among these patients. Higher overall costs for patients with intermediate-risk and low-risk disease were driven largely by non-treatment-related costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS022189.
Citation: Dinan MA, Wilson LE, Reed SD .
Chemotherapy costs and 21-gene recurrence score genomic testing among Medicare beneficiaries with early-stage breast cancer, 2005 to 2011.
J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2019 Mar;17(3):245-54. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2018.7097..
Keywords: Cancer, Cancer: Breast Cancer, Treatments, Genetics, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Women
Nathan H, Thumma JR, Ryan AM
Early impact of Medicare accountable care organizations on inpatient surgical spending.
This study evaluated whether hospital participation in accountable care organizations (ACOs) is associated with reduced Medicare spending for inpatient surgery. Medicare Shared Savings Programs (MSSP) have shown some modest success in reducing overall medical spending, but has not been studied on its impact in reducing surgical spending. Medicare claims from 2010 to 2014 were evaluated for patients aged 65 to 99 years undergoing 6 common elective surgical procedures: abdominal aortic aneurysm, colectomy, coronary artery bypass grafting, hip or knee replacement, or lung resection. A total of 341,675 patients at 427 ACO hospitals and over 1 million matched controls at non-ACO hospitals were used to compare surgical costs. There was not an overall reducing in total Medicare patients between the two hospital types.
AHRQ-funded; HS024763.
Citation: Nathan H, Thumma JR, Ryan AM .
Early impact of Medicare accountable care organizations on inpatient surgical spending.
Ann Surg 2019 Feb;269(2):191-96. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002819..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Medicare, Surgery, Quality of Care