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- (-) Access to Care (14)
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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 14 of 14 Research Studies DisplayedCreedon TB, Zuvekas SH, Hill SC
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas SH, Hill SC, McClellan C
Effects of Medicaid expansion on insurance coverage and health services use among adults with disabilities newly eligible for Medicaid.
The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion on insurance coverage and health services use for adults with disabilities newly eligible for Medicaid. The researchers utilized the 2008-2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) PUBSIM model to identify adults between the ages of 26-64 years with disabilities who were newly Medicaid-eligible in expansion states or would have been eligible in non-expansion states if those states had opted in to ACA Medicaid expansion. The study found that among adults with disabilities who were newly eligible for Medicaid, Medicaid expansion was associated with significant increases in full-year Medicaid coverage, receipt of primary care, receipt of flu shots and a significant decrease in out-of-pocket spending. There were greater improvements for adults with disabilities compared to those without disabilities in full-year Medicaid coverage and receipt of flu shots. The researchers concluded that Medicaid expansion was associated with improvements in full-year insurance coverage, receipt of primary and preventive care, and out-of-pocket spending for adults with disabilities who were newly eligible for Medicaid, and there were greater improvements for adults with disabilities than for adults without disabilities.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Creedon TB, Zuvekas SH, Hill SC .
Effects of Medicaid expansion on insurance coverage and health services use among adults with disabilities newly eligible for Medicaid.
Health Serv Res 2022 Dec;57(suppl 2):183-94. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14034..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Medicaid, Health Insurance, Disabilities, Policy, Access to Care
Eliason EL, Daw JR
Presumptive eligibility for pregnancy Medicaid and timely prenatal care access.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the adoption of presumptive eligibility for pregnancy Medicaid in Kansas in 2016 and timely prenatal care access. The researchers utilized 2012-2019 National Center for Health Statistics natality files of all live births in adults aged 20 or older in Kansas, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, with outcomes of first-trimester prenatal care, the month of first prenatal visit, and adequate prenatal care. The study found no evidence that presumptive eligibility in Kansas resulted in changes in prenatal care use. Among individuals with high school education or less, presumptive eligibility was associated with an increase in first-trimester prenatal care, driven by earlier month of first prenatal care visit. The researchers concluded that in individuals with lower education, presumptive eligibility in Medicaid non-expansion states may lead to small improvements in early prenatal care.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Eliason EL, Daw JR .
Presumptive eligibility for pregnancy Medicaid and timely prenatal care access.
Health Serv Res 2022 Dec;57(6):1288-94. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14035..
Keywords: Pregnancy, Maternal Care, Access to Care, Medicaid, Women
Grove LR, Rao N, Domino ME
Are North Carolina clinicians delivering opioid use disorder treatment to Medicaid beneficiaries?
This study’s goal was to inform efforts to increase prescriptions of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among Medicaid beneficiaries. A retrospective study of North Carolina licensed physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners was conducted to estimate Medicaid participation prevalence among clinicians authorized to prescribe buprenorphine and to estimate the association between clinician characteristics and OUD care delivery to Medicaid beneficiaries. Outcomes looked for were indicators of any Medicaid professional claims and Medicaid claims data for buprenorphine and naltrexone. Licensure data from 2018 was merged with 2019 US Drug Enforcement Administration to identify clinicians who used the DEA waiver required to prescribe buprenorphine (n = 1714). Services by waivered clinicians to Medicare beneficiaries ranged from 67% of behavioral health clinicians to 82.9% of specialist physicians. Prevalence of prescribing buprenorphine to Medicaid beneficiaries ranged from 30.3% among specialist physicians to 51.6% among behavioral health clinicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Grove LR, Rao N, Domino ME .
Are North Carolina clinicians delivering opioid use disorder treatment to Medicaid beneficiaries?
Addiction 2022 Nov;117(11):2855-63. doi: 10.1111/add.15854..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Vulnerable Populations, Medication, Access to Care, Medicaid
Eliason EL, A Spishak-Thomas, Steenland MW
Association of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions with postpartum contraceptive use and early postpartum pregnancy.
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion with postpartum contraception use and pregnancy. The researchers found that Medicaid expansion was associated with a 7.0 percentage point increase in postpartum use of the contraceptive implant and intrauterine device LARC, a 3.1 percentage point decrease in short-acting contraception, and a 3.9 percentage point decrease in non-prescription contraceptive use overall. Increases in LARC use were concentrated among non-Hispanic, White, and Black respondents. Medicaid expansion was associated with a decrease in early postpartum pregnancy only among non-Hispanic Black respondents. The researchers concluded that the ACA Medicaid expansion improved postpartum contraceptive access and led to shifts from methods with a lower upfront out-of-pocket cost for people without insurance towards methods with the higher upfront out-of-pocket cost for people without insurance. These changes suggest that Medicaid expansions increased access to the full range of contraceptive methods.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464; HS000011
Citation: Eliason EL, A Spishak-Thomas, Steenland MW .
Association of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions with postpartum contraceptive use and early postpartum pregnancy.
Contraception 2022 Sep;113:42-48. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2022.02.012..
Keywords: Sexual Health, Pregnancy, Maternal Care, Women, Medicaid, Access to Care, Policy
Roberts ET, Mellor JM
Differences in care between special needs plans and other Medicare coverage for dual eligibles.
This study compared access to, use of, and satisfaction with care among dual eligibles enrolled in Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) versus those enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and traditional Medicare. Findings showed that, compared with those in traditional Medicare, dual eligibles generally reported greater access to care, preventive service use, and satisfaction with care in D-SNPs. There were, however, fewer differences in these outcomes among dual eligibles in D-SNPs versus other MA plans. Overall, these findings suggested that D-SNPs altogether have not provided consistently superior or more equitable care, and they highlight areas where federal and state policy could strengthen incentives for D-SNPs to improve care.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727; HS025422.
Citation: Roberts ET, Mellor JM .
Differences in care between special needs plans and other Medicare coverage for dual eligibles.
Health Aff 2022 Sep;41(9):1238-47. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00463..
Keywords: Medicare, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Auty SG, Griffith KN
Medicaid expansion increased appointment wait times in Maine and Virginia.
The purpose of this study was to explore whether a sudden influx of Medicaid enrollees from the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion increased wait times for primary and specialty care in community care (CC) and the Veteran’s Hospital Administration (VHA) in two states (Maine and Virginia.) The researchers examined data on wait times for new patients seeking specialty
and primary care from VHA and community providers during 2015–2019. There were no statistically significant differences in pre-trends in wait times in the years prior to Medicaid expansion in Maine and Virginia for VHA and CC appointments. After Medicaid expansion in 2019, Maine and Virginia experienced adjusted increases in CC wait times for both primary (9.5 days) and specialty (10.0 days) care. Non-expansion states experienced lesser increases in CC wait times for primary (4.5 days) and specialty (3.7 days). Conversely, adjusted VHA wait times for primary (−3.1 days) and specialty (−1.1 days) care decreased in Maine and Virginia, but did not change significantly in nonexpansion states. The researchers concluded that improved access to care without corresponding changes in the supply of medical professionals may lead to increased wait times, as evidenced by increased private-sector wait times for specialty care in Maine and Virginia after Medicaid expansion.
and primary care from VHA and community providers during 2015–2019. There were no statistically significant differences in pre-trends in wait times in the years prior to Medicaid expansion in Maine and Virginia for VHA and CC appointments. After Medicaid expansion in 2019, Maine and Virginia experienced adjusted increases in CC wait times for both primary (9.5 days) and specialty (10.0 days) care. Non-expansion states experienced lesser increases in CC wait times for primary (4.5 days) and specialty (3.7 days). Conversely, adjusted VHA wait times for primary (−3.1 days) and specialty (−1.1 days) care decreased in Maine and Virginia, but did not change significantly in nonexpansion states. The researchers concluded that improved access to care without corresponding changes in the supply of medical professionals may lead to increased wait times, as evidenced by increased private-sector wait times for specialty care in Maine and Virginia after Medicaid expansion.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Auty SG, Griffith KN .
Medicaid expansion increased appointment wait times in Maine and Virginia.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Aug;37(10):2594-96. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07086-9..
Keywords: Medicaid, Access to Care
Newton H, Beetham T, Busch SH
Association of access to crisis intervention teams with county sociodemographic characteristics and state Medicaid policies and Its implications for a new mental health crisis lifeline.
This study’s objective was to assess county-level access to crisis intervention teams (CIS) for acute mental health issues in 2015 and 2020 and its association with area characteristics and state policies in 2020. This cross-sectional study included 10,430 facilities from the 2015 National Directory of Mental Health Treatment Facilities and 10,591 facilities from the 2020 National Directory of Mental Health Treatment Facilities, from 3142 US counties. Area measures included suicide, drug-related overdose mortality, rurality, and demographic characteristics. State-level policies included enactment of 5 Medicaid policies prior to 2020 and 2 recent policies intended to assist implementation of the 988 telephone lifeline. Most US residents (88%) lived in a county that had at least 1 facility offering CIT, although half of all US counties had no CIT facility. Counties without vs those with CIT access were less likely to be in states that expanded Medicare and in states that allow Medicaid to pay for short-term stays in psychiatric hospitals. Residents of counties without CIT access were more likely to be older (>55 years) and uninsured and were more likely to be rural.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589.
Citation: Newton H, Beetham T, Busch SH .
Association of access to crisis intervention teams with county sociodemographic characteristics and state Medicaid policies and Its implications for a new mental health crisis lifeline.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jul;5(7):e2224803. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24803..
Keywords: Medicaid, Behavioral Health, Access to Care, Policy
Fung V, Yang Z, Cook BL
Changes in insurance coverage continuity after Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid eligibility for young adults with low income in Massachusetts.
The purpose of this cohort study was to describe changes in insurance coverage continuity for Medicaid enrollees who turned age 19 years before and after eligibility policy changes from the 2014 Medicaid expansion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Between November 1, 2020, and May 12, 2022 the researchers analyzed data from the Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database (2012 to 2016) to compare coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries turning age 19 years before and after Medicaid expansion. A total of 41,247 young adults turning age 18 to 19 years in the baseline year were included in the study. The researchers found that enrollees who turned age 19 after vs before the Medicaid eligibility expansion were less likely to have 3 or more uninsured months at18 to 19 years of age and 19 to 20 years of age and more likely to have continuous insurance coverage for 12 or more months. Differences in the likelihood of having 3 or more uninsured months decreased at 20 to 21 years of age, when both groups had access to Medicaid. The study concluded that among Medicaid enrollees entering adulthood, the expansion of Medicaid to lower-income adults through the 2014 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was associated with a decreased possibility of becoming uninsured.
AHRQ-funded; HS024725.
Citation: Fung V, Yang Z, Cook BL .
Changes in insurance coverage continuity after Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid eligibility for young adults with low income in Massachusetts.
JAMA Health Forum 2022 Jul;3(7):e221996. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.1996..
Keywords: Young Adults, Health Insurance, Policy, Medicaid, Access to Care, Low-Income
Meiselbach MK, Drake C, Saloner B
Medicaid managed care: access to primary care providers who prescribe buprenorphine.
This study examined variation in access to in-network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers that can treat opioid use disorder among Medicaid managed care enrollees. Approximately 32.2% of Medicaid enrollees had fewer than one in-network network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers per 100,000 county residents. There was on average a greater number of in-network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers in states with higher compared with lower overdose death rates, but most enrollees lived in areas with a shortage of these providers. The authors found that a 25 percent higher network participation rate by prescribers compared with nonprescribers could improve the probability that enrollees see a prescriber by approximately 25 percent.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Meiselbach MK, Drake C, Saloner B .
Medicaid managed care: access to primary care providers who prescribe buprenorphine.
Health Aff 2022 Jun;41(6):901-10. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01719..
Keywords: Medicaid, Primary Care, Access to Care, Medication, Care Management, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health
Greenberg JK, Brown DS, Olsen MA
Association of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act with access to elective spine surgical care.
This study's goal was to evaluate the impact of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act on the volume and payer mix of elective spine surgery in the United States. The authors evaluated elective spinal surgeries performed in the U.S. from 2011 to 2016 and included 10 states with expanded Medicaid access and 4 states that did not. They identified 218,648 surgical procedures performed in 10 Medicaid expansion states and 118,693 procedures performed in 4 nonexpansion states. Medicaid expansion was associated with a 17% increase in mean hospital spine surgical volume and a 23% increase in Medicaid volume. Privately insured surgical volumes did not change significantly. This increase indicated improved access to care.
AHRQ-funded; HS027075.
Citation: Greenberg JK, Brown DS, Olsen MA .
Association of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act with access to elective spine surgical care.
J Neurosurg Spine 2022 Feb;36(2):336–44. doi: 10.3171/2021.3.Spine2122..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicaid, Access to Care, Surgery
Gordon SH, Hoagland A, Admon LK
Extended postpartum Medicaid eligibility is associated with improved continuity of coverage in the postpartum year.
The purpose of this study was to explore whether states that adopt the American Rescue Plan Act 0f 2021 option to provide eligibility for pregnancy-related benefits for a full year after birth are likely to improve continuity of postpartum insurance coverage. The researchers utilized linked birth records, income, and all-payer claims data for Medicaid-paid births in Colorado during the period 2014-19. Continuity of coverage during one year postpartum among people eligible for low-income adult Medicaid as compared with those ineligible for Medicaid. The study found that retention of Medicaid coverage as a low-income adult was associated with 1.5 additional months of postpartum insurance enrollment and a 12-percentage-point increase in the probability of continuous insurance coverage during the first year after birth. The study concluded that states adopting the American Rescue Plan Act’s option to extend pregnancy-related benefits for a year after birth are likely to increase continuity of postpartum insurance coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS027640.
Citation: Gordon SH, Hoagland A, Admon LK .
Extended postpartum Medicaid eligibility is associated with improved continuity of coverage in the postpartum year.
Health Aff 2022 Jan;41(1):69-78. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00730..
Keywords: Maternal Care, Medicaid, Women, Pregnancy, Access to Care, Policy
Beil H, Rozier RG, Preisser JS
Effects of early dental office visits on dental caries experience.
This study determined the association between timing of a first dentist office visit before age 5 and dental disease in kindergarten. It found that children with early dental visits (before age 2) had higher rates of tooth decay than those who had later visits (between ages 3 and 5).
AHRQ-funded; HS018076.
Citation: Beil H, Rozier RG, Preisser JS .
Effects of early dental office visits on dental caries experience.
Am J Public Health. 2014 Oct;104(10):1979-85. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301325..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Children/Adolescents, Access to Care, Medicaid, Prevention
Gold R, Bailey SR, O'Malley JP
Estimating demand for care after a Medicaid expansion: lessons from Oregon.
In order to estimate how the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansions will affect demand for services, the authors measured ambulatory care utilization among adult patients who gained insurance during Oregon's 2008 Medicaid expansion. They found that, in comparisons of the pre- and postcoverage periods, the mean annual encounters among persons who gained insurance increased 22% to 35%, but declined in the comparison groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522.
Citation: Gold R, Bailey SR, O'Malley JP .
Estimating demand for care after a Medicaid expansion: lessons from Oregon.
J Ambul Care Manage 2014 Oct-Dec;37(4):282-92. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000023.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Healthcare Utilization, Policy, Health Services Research (HSR), Medicaid
Aliu O, Auger KA, Sun GH
The effect of pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid eligibility expansion in New York State on access to specialty surgical care.
Using the natural experiment of Medicaid expansion in New York (NY) State in October 2001, the study investigators examined whether Medicaid expansion increased access to common musculoskeletal procedures for Medicaid beneficiaries. They concluded that Medicaid expansion in NY State significantly improved access to common musculoskeletal procedures for Medicaid beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS020672.
Citation: Aliu O, Auger KA, Sun GH .
The effect of pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid eligibility expansion in New York State on access to specialty surgical care.
Med Care 2014 Sep;52(9):790-5. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000175..
Keywords: Access to Care, Policy, Medicaid, Surgery