National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (2)
- Behavioral Health (2)
- Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) (1)
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (1)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Community-Based Practice (1)
- Dental and Oral Health (1)
- Depression (1)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (8)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
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- Health Insurance (11)
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- Hospital Readmissions (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- Kidney Disease and Health (1)
- (-) Medicaid (23)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (1)
- Medicare (9)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Nursing Homes (1)
- Outcomes (1)
- (-) Payment (23)
- Policy (6)
- Primary Care (4)
- Provider (1)
- Provider Performance (2)
- Quality Improvement (1)
- Quality of Care (3)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Surgery (2)
- Vaccination (1)
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 23 of 23 Research Studies DisplayedLewis A, Howland RE, Horwitz LI
Medicaid value-based payments and health care use for patients with mental illness.
This retrospective cohort study’s objective was to investigate if New York State's Medicaid value-based payment reform was associated with improved utilization patterns for patients with mental illness (major depression disorder, bipolar disorder, and/or schizophrenia). The cohort included Medicaid 306,290 individuals with depression (67.4% female; mean age, 38.6 years), 85,105 patients with bipolar disorder (59.6% female; mean age, 38.0 years), and 71,299 patients with schizophrenia (45.1% female mean age, 40.3 years). After adjustment, the analysis estimated a statistically significant, positive association between value-based payments and behavioral health visits for patients with depression (0.91 visits) and bipolar disorder (1.01 visits). There were no statistically significant changes to primary care visits for patients with depression and bipolar disorder, but value-based payments were associated with reductions in primary care visits for patients with schizophrenia (-1.31 visits). In every diagnostic population, value-based payment was associated with significant reductions in mental health emergency department visits (population with depression: -0.01 visits; population with bipolar disorder: -0.02 visits; population with schizophrenia: -0.04 visits).
AHRQ-funded; HS026980; HS026120.
Citation: Lewis A, Howland RE, Horwitz LI .
Medicaid value-based payments and health care use for patients with mental illness.
JAMA Health Forum 2023 Sep; 4(9):e233197. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.3197..
Keywords: Medicaid, Behavioral Health, Payment, Depression
Maclean JC, McClellan C, Pesko MF
AHRQ Author: McClellan C
Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services and behavioral health outcomes.
This AHRQ-authored research studied the effects of changing Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services on behavioral health outcomes-defined here as mental illness and substance use disorders. The authors applied two-way fixed-effects regressions to survey data specifically designed to measure behavioral health outcomes over the period 2010-2016. They found that higher primary care reimbursement rates reduce mental illness and substance use disorders among non-elderly adult Medicaid enrollees, although they interpreted findings for substance use disorders with some caution as they may be vulnerable to differential pre-trends. Overall, their findings suggest positive spillovers from a policy designed to target primary care services to behavioral health outcomes.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Maclean JC, McClellan C, Pesko MF .
Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services and behavioral health outcomes.
Health Econ 2023 Jan 6;32(4):873-909. doi: 10.1002/hec.4646.
Keywords: Medicaid, Payment, Primary Care, Behavioral Health, Outcomes, Access to Care, Substance Abuse, Health Insurance
Collins CR, Abel MK, Shui A
Preparing for participation in the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' bundle care payment initiative-advanced for major bowel surgery.
This study aimed to assess where the largest opportunities for care improvement lay with the bundled payment reimbursement model and how best to identify patients at high risk of suffering costly complications, including hospital readmission. The authors used a cohort of patients from 2014 and 2016 who met inclusion criteria for the Major Bowel Bundled Payment Program and performed a cost analysis to identify opportunities for improved care efficiency. Using the results, they identified readmissions as a target for improvement and then assessed whether the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program surgical risk calculator (ACS NSQIP SRC) could accurately identify patients within the bundled payment population who were at high risk of readmission using a logistic regression model. Patients who were readmitted within 90-days post-surgery were 2.53 times more likely to be high-cost (>$60,000) then non-readmitted patients. However, the ACS NSQIP SRC did not accurately predict patients at high risk of readmission within the first 30 days post-surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS024532.
Citation: Collins CR, Abel MK, Shui A .
Preparing for participation in the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' bundle care payment initiative-advanced for major bowel surgery.
Perioper Med 2022 Dec 9;11(1):54. doi: 10.1186/s13741-022-00286-9..
Keywords: Provider Performance, Payment, Hospital Readmissions, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Surgery, Medicare, Medicaid
Lipton BJ, Decker SL, Stitt B
AHRQ Author: Decker SL Manski RJ
Association between Medicaid dental payment policies and children's dental visits, oral health, and school absences.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between the ratio of Medicaid payment rates to dentist charges and children's preventive dental visits, oral health, and school absences. The researchers conducted a difference-in-differences analysis of 15,738 Medicaid-enrolled children and a control group of 16 867 privately insured children aged 6 to 17 years who participated in the 2016-2019 National Survey of Children's Health. The study found that 87% and 48% of Medicaid-enrolled children had at least 1 and at least 2 past-year dental visits, respectively, and 29% had parent-reported excellent oral health. Increasing the fee ratio by was associated with increases in at least 1 and 2 visits and in excellent oral health. Increases in at least 2 visits were larger for Hispanic children than for White children. By weighted baseline estimates, 28% and 15% of Medicaid-enrolled children had at least 4 and at least 7 past-year school absences, respectively. The researchers concluded that Medicaid policies with higher payments were associated with modest increases in children's preventive dental visits and excellent oral health.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Lipton BJ, Decker SL, Stitt B .
Association between Medicaid dental payment policies and children's dental visits, oral health, and school absences.
JAMA Health Forum 2022 Sep 2;3(9):e223041. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.3041..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Medicaid, Payment, Policy
Fung V, McCarthy S, Price M
Payment discrepancies and access to primary care physicians for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries.
This study examined whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA) primary care fee bump for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries impacted primary care physicians (PCP) acceptance of duals. The authors assessed differences in the likelihood that PCPs had dual caseloads of ≥10% or 20% in states with lower versus full dual reimbursement using linear probability models adjusted for physician and area-level traits. The proportion of PCPs with dual caseloads of ≥10% or 20% decreased significantly between 2012 and 2017. The fee bump was not consistently associated with increases in dual caseloads.
AHRQ-funded; HS024725.
Citation: Fung V, McCarthy S, Price M .
Payment discrepancies and access to primary care physicians for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries.
Med Care 2021 Jun;59(6):487-94. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001525..
Keywords: Primary Care, Medicaid, Medicare, Health Insurance, Payment, Access to Care
Spivack SB, Murray GF, Rodriguez HP
Avoiding Medicaid: characteristics of primary care practices with no Medicaid revenue.
Primary care access for Medicaid patients is an ongoing area of concern. Most studies of providers' participation in Medicaid have focused on factors associated with the Medicaid program, such as reimbursement rates. Few studies have examined the characteristics of primary care practices associated with Medicaid participation. In this study, the investigators used a nationally representative survey of primary care practices to compare practices with no, low, and high Medicaid revenue.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Spivack SB, Murray GF, Rodriguez HP .
Avoiding Medicaid: characteristics of primary care practices with no Medicaid revenue.
Health Aff 2021 Jan;40(1):98-104. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00100..
Keywords: Medicaid, Health Insurance, Payment, Primary Care, Provider
Cottrell EK, Dambrun K, O'Malley J
Documenting new ways of delivering care under Oregon's Alternative Payment and Advanced Care Model.
This study’s objective was to describe trends in rates of traditional face-to-face office visits and “Care Services That Engage Patients” (Care STEPs) documentation among community health centers (CHCs) involved in the first 3 phases Oregon’s Alternative Payment and Advanced Care Model (APCM) pilot program. In this program, participating community health centers (CHCs) received per-member-per-month payments for empaneled Medicaid patients in lieu of standard fee-for-service Medicaid payments. Among participating CHCs, the mean rate of face-to-face visits with billable providers declined. Care STEPS documentation increased, but the difference was not statistically significant. The Care STEPs category New Visit Types were documented most frequently. There were significant increases in document of Patient Care Coordination and Integration, and a smaller but still significant increase in Reducing Barriers to Health. There was a significant decrease in documentation done by physicians and advanced practice providers with an increase by ancillary staff.
AHRQ-funded; R01 HS022651.
Citation: Cottrell EK, Dambrun K, O'Malley J .
Documenting new ways of delivering care under Oregon's Alternative Payment and Advanced Care Model.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 Jan-Feb;34(1):78-88. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.01.200027..
Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Payment, Community-Based Practice, Medicaid
Roberts ET, Nimgaonkar A, Aarons J
New evidence of state variation in Medicaid payment policies for dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees.
The authors developed the first longitudinal database of state Medicaid policies for paying the cost sharing in Medicare Part B for services provided to dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees (duals), and an index summarizing the impact of these policies on payments for physician office services. Information from 2004-2018 was consolidated from online Medicaid policy documents, state laws, and policy data reported to them by state Medicaid programs. The database showed that in 2018 42 states had policies to limit Medicaid payments of Medicare cost sharing when Medicaid’s fee schedule was lower than Medicare’s. This was an increase from 36 such states in 2004. In most states, combined Medicare and Medicare payments for evaluation and management services provided to duals averaged 78% of the Medicare allowed amount for these services.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Roberts ET, Nimgaonkar A, Aarons J .
New evidence of state variation in Medicaid payment policies for dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees.
Health Serv Res 2020 Oct;55(5):701-09. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13545..
Keywords: Medicaid, Medicare, Payment, Policy, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance
Encinosa WE
AHRQ Author: Encinosa WE
Is it time for ACOs to start tackling the high costs of surgery?
This article discusses an article appearing in the same issue revisiting the impact of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) accountable care organizations (ACOs) on surgery expenditures. The author suggests that, in order to engage even more surgeons, it is likely that MSSP ACOs will have to work with surgeons in the various Medicare bundled payment programs for surgery. He concludes that the next stage is to examine how these different programs can work together to produce even more savings in surgical care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Encinosa WE .
Is it time for ACOs to start tackling the high costs of surgery?
Am J Accountable Care 2020 Sep 15;8(3):26-27..
Keywords: Surgery, Healthcare Costs, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Payment
Apathy NC, Everson J
High rates of partial participation in the first year of the merit-based incentive payment system.
This article discusses concerns over the implementation of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for clinicians, which was authorized with the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. Data was analyzed from 2017, the first implementation year of MIPS. The authors found that although 90% of participating clinicians reported performance equal to or better than the lower performance threshold of 3 out of 100, almost half of clinicians did not participate in at least one of the three program categories. Even with the low participation rate, 74% of clinicians who only partially participated in the program received positive payment adjustments. The findings underline concerns that the design may have been too flexible to effectively incentivize clinicians to make incremental progress across all targeted aspects of the program (quality, advancing care information, and improvement activities).
AHRQ-funded; K12 HS026395.
Citation: Apathy NC, Everson J .
High rates of partial participation in the first year of the merit-based incentive payment system.
Health Aff 2020 Sep;39(9):1513-21. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01648..
Keywords: Payment, Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Health Insurance
Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Selden TM
Differences between public and private hospital payment rates narrowed, 2012-16.
In 2000-12 payments for inpatient hospital stays, emergency department visits, and outpatient hospital care for privately insured patients grew much faster than payments for Medicare and Medicaid patients. This widening of private-public payment gaps slowed or even reversed itself in 2012-16. In this paper, the author discusses the differences between public and private hospital payment rates, 2012-2016.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Selden TM .
Differences between public and private hospital payment rates narrowed, 2012-16.
Health Aff 2020 Jan;39(1):94-99. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00415..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Hospitals, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Medicaid, Medicare
Childrers CP, Dworsky JQ, Kominski G
A comparison of payments to a for-profit dialysis firm from government and commercial insurers.
The authors assessed differences in payments from government and commercial insurers to dialysis clinics through analysis of DaVita’s financial records. They found that, in 2017, commercial insurers paid one of the largest dialysis suppliers 4 times the rate of their government peers. They recommended that reducing payments from commercial insurers, perhaps through increased competition or fixing charges at a percent of Medicare reimbursement, may help alleviate excess spending on dialysis.
AHRQ-funded; HS025079.
Citation: Childrers CP, Dworsky JQ, Kominski G .
A comparison of payments to a for-profit dialysis firm from government and commercial insurers.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Aug;179(8):1136-38. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0431..
Keywords: Payment, Health Insurance, Kidney Disease and Health, Medicare, Medicaid
Heintzman J, Cottrell E, Angier H
Impact of alternative payment methodology on primary care visits and scheduling.
The authors used electronic health record data to evaluate the impact of Oregon’s Alternative Payment Methodology (APM) on visit and scheduling metrics in the first wave of experiment clinics. They found that APM clinics experienced a greater increase in same-day visits but did not significantly differ from comparators in other visit metrics.
AHRQ-funded; HS022651.
Citation: Heintzman J, Cottrell E, Angier H .
Impact of alternative payment methodology on primary care visits and scheduling.
J Am Board Fam Med 2019 Jul-Aug;32(4):539-49. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.04.180368..
Keywords: Payment, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Policy
Rhee C, Wang R, Jentzsch MS
Impact of the 2012 Medicaid health care-acquired conditions policy on catheter-associated urinary tract infection and vascular catheter-associated infection billing rates.
This study examines the impact of the 2012 Medicaid health care-acquired conditions policy on catheter-associated urinary tract infection and vascular catheter-associated infection billing rates. The investigators found no impact of the policy on rates of the two conditions among Medicaid or non-Medicaid patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS025008; HS018414; HS000063.
Citation: Rhee C, Wang R, Jentzsch MS .
Impact of the 2012 Medicaid health care-acquired conditions policy on catheter-associated urinary tract infection and vascular catheter-associated infection billing rates.
Open Forum Infect Dis 2018 Sep;5(9):ofy204. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy204..
Keywords: Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Medicaid, Payment, Policy
Decker SL
AHRQ Author: Decker SL
No association found between the Medicaid primary care fee bump and physician-reported participation in Medicaid.
The Affordable Care Act required states in 2013 and 2014 to raise Medicaid payment rates to primary care physicians for certain services to the level of Medicare rates. The result was an average 73 percent increase in primary care Medicaid payments for qualifying physicians. This study used nationally representative data to examine the association between this Medicaid "fee bump" and physician-reported measures of participation in Medicaid. No such association was found. The lack of a sizable change in measures of physician participation in Medicaid may have been due to the temporary nature of the fee bump.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Decker SL .
No association found between the Medicaid primary care fee bump and physician-reported participation in Medicaid.
Health Aff 2018 Jul;37(7):1092-98. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0078..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Payment, Medicaid, Policy, Primary Care
Perez V
Does capitated managed care affect budget predictability? Evidence from Medicaid programs.
This study is the first to test whether managed care enrollment reduces the variance of Medicaid spending, in contrast to the focus of the existing literature on spending levels. Although the majority of Medicaid enrollees are in managed care, the study shows that managed care use has been concentrated among the enrollees with the most stable spending, resulting in only small gains to budget predictability. Perez concludes that this finding is robust to the exclusion of the claims expenditures that exhibit the most variance.
AHRQ-funded; HS022797.
Citation: Perez V .
Does capitated managed care affect budget predictability? Evidence from Medicaid programs.
Int J Health Econ Manag 2018 Jun;18(2):123-52. doi: 10.1007/s10754-017-9227-7.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Payment, Medicaid, Health Insurance
Chen LM, Epstein AM, Orav EJ
Association of practice-level social and medical risk with performance in the Medicare physician value-based payment modifier program.
The objective of this cross-sectional observational study was to compare performance in the Physician Value-Based Payment Modifier (PVBM) Program by practice characteristics. The investigators found that during the first year of the Medicare Physician Value-Based Payment Modifier Program, physician practices that served more socially high-risk patients had lower quality and lower costs, and practices that served more medically high-risk patients had lower quality and higher costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Chen LM, Epstein AM, Orav EJ .
Association of practice-level social and medical risk with performance in the Medicare physician value-based payment modifier program.
JAMA 2017 Aug 1;318(5):453-61. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.9643..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medicaid, Medicare, Payment, Quality of Care
DeLia D
Spending carveouts substantially improve the accuracy of performance measurement in shared savings arrangements: findings from simulation analysis of Medicaid ACOs.
This study uses data from New Jersey Medicaid accountable care organizations (ACOs) to examine how carving out uncontrollable components of spending affects the accuracy of performance measures in shared savings arrangements. It concluded that failure to carve out uncontrollable spending above $100,000 per person generates bias ranging from -5 to +5 percentage points and increases mean squared error by factors of 13 or more.
AHRQ-funded; HS023493.
Citation: DeLia D .
Spending carveouts substantially improve the accuracy of performance measurement in shared savings arrangements: findings from simulation analysis of Medicaid ACOs.
Inquiry 2017 Jan 1;54:46958017734047. doi: 10.1177/0046958017734047.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medicaid, Payment
Peiris D, Phipps-Taylor MC, Stachowski CA
ACOs holding commercial contracts are larger and more efficient than noncommercial ACOs.
The researchers examined differences between commercial accountable care organizations (ACOs) and noncommercial ACOs. They found that among all ACOs, there was low uptake of quality and efficiency activities; commercial ACOs reported more use of disease monitoring tools, patient satisfaction data, and quality improvement methods; and about two-thirds of the ACOs had established processes for distributing any savings accrued. They concluded that ACO delivery systems remain at a nascent stage.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Peiris D, Phipps-Taylor MC, Stachowski CA .
ACOs holding commercial contracts are larger and more efficient than noncommercial ACOs.
Health Aff 2016 Oct;35(10):1849-56. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0387.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Payment, Health Systems, Medicaid, Medicare
Rosenthal MB, Landrum MB, Robbins JA
Pay for performance in Medicaid: evidence from three natural experiments.
This study examined the impact of pay for performance in Medicaid on the quality and utilization of care. Primary outcomes of interest were Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS)-like process measures of quality, utilization by service category, and ambulatory care-sensitive admissions and emergency department visits. Its findings were mixed, with no measurable quality improvements across the three states (Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Alabama), but reductions in hospital admissions in two programs.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Rosenthal MB, Landrum MB, Robbins JA .
Pay for performance in Medicaid: evidence from three natural experiments.
Health Serv Res 2016 Aug;51(4):1444-66. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12426.
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Keywords: Medicaid, Payment, Provider Performance, Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Care, Hospitalization, Emergency Department
Hu T, Decker SL, Chou SY
AHRQ Author: Decker SL
Medicaid pay for performance programs and childhood immunization status.
This national study examined the effects of pay for performance (P4P) programs on childhood immunization rates. It found no overall effect of Medicaid P4P on the chance that children aged 19-35 months had completed the 4:3:1:3:3:1 vaccination series. However, there was a 4 percentage point increase in the chance that a child 19-23 months had completed the series.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hu T, Decker SL, Chou SY .
Medicaid pay for performance programs and childhood immunization status.
Am J Prev Med 2016 May;50(5 Suppl 1):S51-7. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.01.012.
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Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Vaccination, Payment, Health Insurance
Sommers BD, Stone J, Kane N
Predictors of payer mix and financial performance among safety net hospitals prior to the Affordable Care Act.
The objective of this study was to use audited hospital financial statements to identify predictors of payer mix and financial performance in safety net hospitals prior to the Affordable Care Act. It found that university governance was the strongest positive predictor of operating margin. Safety net hospital financial performance varied considerably. Academic hospitals had higher operating margins, while more generous Medicaid eligibility and reimbursement policies improved hospitals' ability to recoup costs.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Sommers BD, Stone J, Kane N .
Predictors of payer mix and financial performance among safety net hospitals prior to the Affordable Care Act.
Int J Health Serv 2016;46(1):166-84. doi: 10.1177/0020731415586408.
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Keywords: Hospitals, Policy, Medicaid, Payment
Lepore MJ, Shield RR, Looze J
Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes motivate select culture change practices but not comprehensive culture change.
The researchers use mixed methods to examine the presence of culture change practices in the context of a nursing home’s (NH’s) payer sources. They concluded that qualitative data show how higher pay from Medicare versus Medicaid influences implementation of select culture change practices, and quantitative data show NHs with higher proportions of Medicare residents have significantly higher (measured) environmental culture change implementation.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Lepore MJ, Shield RR, Looze J .
Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes motivate select culture change practices but not comprehensive culture change.
J Aging Soc Policy 2015;27(3):215-31. doi: 10.1080/08959420.2015.1022102..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Medicare, Medicaid, Payment, Health Insurance