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- Access to Care (7)
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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 25 of 46 Research Studies DisplayedZhang Y, Johnson P, Jeng PJ
First opioid prescription and subsequent high-risk opioid use: a national study of privately insured and Medicare Advantage adults.
This study examined the association between a first opioid prescription and high-risk opioid use in the 18 months following the first prescription. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a large commercial insurance claims database for patients aged 18-64 and also Medicare Advantage patients aged 65 or older for 2011-2014. The patients initially had not used opioids. The features the researchers were looking for were: 1) opioid or benzodiazepine prescriptions overlapping 7 days or more, 2) opioid prescriptions overlapping for 7 days or more; 3) three or more prescribers of opioids; and 4) a daily dosage exceeding 120 morphine milligram equivalents, in each of the six quarters following the first prescription. All of those features were strongly associated with high-risk use.
AHRQ-funded; HS021531.
Citation: Zhang Y, Johnson P, Jeng PJ .
First opioid prescription and subsequent high-risk opioid use: a national study of privately insured and Medicare Advantage adults.
J Gen Intern Med 2018 Dec;33(12):2156-62. doi: 10.1007/s11606-018-4628-y..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Medication, Risk, Medicare, Health Insurance
Kelsall AC, Cassidy R, Ghaferi AA
Variation in bariatric surgery episode costs in the commercially insured: implications for bundled payments in the private sector.
The authors described hospital-level variation in roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy in Michigan. Their findings suggested that there are previously underappreciated differences in episode payment variation between bariatric surgery procedures. The authors also suggested that sleeve gastrectomy may be more amenable to cost containment under bundled payment initiatives by virtue of the greater share of variation explained by readmission and post-discharge payments.
AHRQ-funded; HS023621; HS024403.
Citation: Kelsall AC, Cassidy R, Ghaferi AA .
Variation in bariatric surgery episode costs in the commercially insured: implications for bundled payments in the private sector.
Ann Surg 2018 Dec;268(6):1014-18. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002462..
Keywords: Surgery, Obesity: Weight Management, Obesity, Payment, Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs
Abdus S, Keenan PS
AHRQ Author: Abdus S, Keenan PS
Financial burden of employer-sponsored high-deductible health plans for low-income adults with chronic health conditions.
In this research letter, the authors used 2011-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component data on adults 19 to 64 years of age enrolled in employer-sponsored insurance plans throughout the year to examine the burden of high deductible health plans on low income adults with chronic health conditions.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Abdus S, Keenan PS .
Financial burden of employer-sponsored high-deductible health plans for low-income adults with chronic health conditions.
JAMA Intern Med 2018 Dec;178(12):1706-08. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.4706..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Jacobs PD
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD
Mandating health insurance coverage for high-income individuals.
In this study, the author describes the effect of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) individual mandate for health coverage by focusing on higher-income non-elderly adults and exploiting state differences in the rules governing premium setting and coverage issuance in the non-group market prior to 2014.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jacobs PD .
Mandating health insurance coverage for high-income individuals.
National Tax Journal 2018 Dec;71(4):807-28. doi: 10.17310/ntj.2018.4.10..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Policy, Uninsured
Yu J, Mink PJ, Huckfeldt PJ
Population-level estimates of telemedicine service provision using an all-payer claims database.
Researchers used information from the Minnesota All Payer Claims Database to conduct a population-level analysis of telemedicine service provision from 2010 to 2015. Variations in provision by coverage type, provider type, and rurality of patient residence were documented. During the 2010-15 period, the number of telemedicine visits increased enormously; rates of use varied by coverage type and location. Telemedicine visits in metropolitan areas were usually direct-to-consumer services covered by commercial insurance and provided by nurse practitioners or physician assistants, while telemedicine use in nonmetropolitan areas was more often real-time provider-initiated, publicly insured services. The researchers conclude that expanded coverage and increased provider reimbursement for telemedicine services could lead to expanded use of telemedicine and new approaches to reach new patient populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS026088.
Citation: Yu J, Mink PJ, Huckfeldt PJ .
Population-level estimates of telemedicine service provision using an all-payer claims database.
Health Aff 2018 Dec;37(12):1931-39. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05116..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Insurance, Payment, Telehealth
Fry CE, Sommers BD
Effect of Medicaid expansion on health insurance coverage and access to care among adults with depression.
This quasi-experimental study sought to determine the relationship between Medicaid expansion and various health and financial outcomes among low-income adults with depression. The investigators found that Medicaid expansion was associated with a significant reduction in the proportion of adults with depression who lacked health insurance. Medicaid expansion was also associated with significant reductions in delaying care and medications because of cost.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Fry CE, Sommers BD .
Effect of Medicaid expansion on health insurance coverage and access to care among adults with depression.
Psychiatr Serv 2018 Nov;69(11):1146-52. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201800181..
Keywords: Access to Care, Depression, Health Insurance, Medicaid, Behavioral Health
Bradley CJ, Neumark D, Walker LS
The effect of primary care visits on other health care utilization: a randomized controlled trial of cash incentives offered to low income, uninsured adults in Virginia.
Investigators recruited low-income uninsured adults in Virginia to determine whether cash incentives would encourage primary care provider (PCP) visits as opposed to going to the hospital emergency room. This randomized, controlled trial determined that PCP visits did increase but no reductions in overall costs occurred there was an offset from increased outpatient utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS022534.
Citation: Bradley CJ, Neumark D, Walker LS .
The effect of primary care visits on other health care utilization: a randomized controlled trial of cash incentives offered to low income, uninsured adults in Virginia.
J Health Econ 2018 Nov;62:121-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2018.07.006..
Keywords: Healthcare Utilization, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Primary Care, Uninsured, Vulnerable Populations
Allen CD
Who loses public health insurance when states pass restrictive omnibus immigration-related laws? The moderating role of county Latino density.
Using comparative interrupted time series methods and a nationally-representative sample of US citizen, Latino children with noncitizen parents from the National Health Interview Survey (2005-2014, n=18,118), this study found that living in counties with higher co-ethnic density placed children at greater risk of losing Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program coverage when their states passed restrictive state omnibus immigrant laws.
AHRQ-funded; HS024248.
Citation: Allen CD .
Who loses public health insurance when states pass restrictive omnibus immigration-related laws? The moderating role of county Latino density.
Health Place 2018 Nov;54:20-28. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.08.023..
Keywords: Access to Care, Children/Adolescents, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Health Insurance, Medicaid, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Keenan PS, Jacobs PD, Miller GE
AHRQ Author: Kennan PS, Jacobs PD, Miller GE
Despite coverage gains, one-third of people in small-firm low-income families were uninsured in 2014-15.
Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the investigators examined health insurance coverage for workers at small firms and the self-employed and found that the overall uninsurance rate for these workers and their families declined by 5 percentage points over the past decade, but one-third of those with lower incomes remained uninsured in 2014-15.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Keenan PS, Jacobs PD, Miller GE .
Despite coverage gains, one-third of people in small-firm low-income families were uninsured in 2014-15.
Health Aff 2018 Oct;37(10):1673-77. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0479..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Low-Income, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Uninsured
Berdahl TA, Moriya AS
AHRQ Author: Berdahl TA, Moriya AS
Difference in uninsurance rates between full- and part-time workers declined in 2014.
This study examined uninsurance rates between full and part time workers using data from 2010-2015. The authors found that uninsurance declined more for part-time workers, with pathways to coverage varying by state Medicaid expansion status.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Berdahl TA, Moriya AS .
Difference in uninsurance rates between full- and part-time workers declined in 2014.
Health Aff 2018 Oct;37(10):1669-72. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0345.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Medicaid, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Uninsured
Yazdany J, Dudley RA, Lin GA
Out-of-pocket costs for infliximab and its biosimilar for rheumatoid arthritis under Medicare Part D.
This paper discusses the out-of-pocket costs for infliximab and its biosimilar for rheumatoid arthritis under Medicare Part D. The investigators analyzed nationwide benefit design data for all Part D plans from the June 2017 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Formulary, Pharmacy Network, and Pricing Information Files to calculate mean total cost and out-of-pocket cost requirements for infliximab-dyyb and infliximab assuming a standard 8-week dosing regimen.
AHRQ-funded; HS016772.
Citation: Yazdany J, Dudley RA, Lin GA .
Out-of-pocket costs for infliximab and its biosimilar for rheumatoid arthritis under Medicare Part D.
JAMA 2018 Sep 4;320(9):931-33. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.7316..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medicare, Medication, Arthritis
Thompson MP, Cabrera L, Strobel RJ
Association between postoperative pneumonia and 90-day episode payments and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cardiac surgery.
Postoperative pneumonia is the most common healthcare-associated infection in cardiac surgical patients, yet their impact across a 90-day episode of care remains unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between pneumonia and 90-day episode payments and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cardiac surgery. The investigators concluded that postoperative pneumonia was associated with significantly higher 90-day episode payments and inferior outcomes at the patient and hospital level.
AHRQ-funded; HS022535.
Citation: Thompson MP, Cabrera L, Strobel RJ .
Association between postoperative pneumonia and 90-day episode payments and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cardiac surgery.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2018 Sep;11(9):e004818. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.118.004818..
Keywords: Elderly, Surgery, Medicare, Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Pneumonia, Payment, Healthcare Costs, Outcomes, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Health Insurance
Whaley CM, Brown TT
Firm responses to targeted consumer incentives: evidence from reference pricing for surgical services.
This study examined how health care providers respond to a reference pricing insurance program that increases consumer cost sharing when they chose high-priced surgical providers. Geographic variation was used to estimate supply-side responses. Limited evidence of market segmentation and price reductions for providers with baseline prices above the reference price was found. However, 75% of the reduction in provider prices benefited a population that was not subject to the program.
AHRQ-funded; HS022098.
Citation: Whaley CM, Brown TT .
Firm responses to targeted consumer incentives: evidence from reference pricing for surgical services.
J Health Econ 2018 Sep;61:111-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2018.06.012..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Surgery, Payment, Healthcare Costs
Pelech D
Paying more for less? Insurer competition and health plan generosity in the Medicare Advantage program.
This paper explored the relationship between insurer competition and health plan benefit generosity by examining the impact of a regulatory change that caused the cancellation of 40% of the private plans in Medicare. The investigator found that insurers in markets affected by cancellation reduced the benefit generosity of the plans remaining in the market.
AHRQ-funded; HS023477; HS000055.
Citation: Pelech D .
Paying more for less? Insurer competition and health plan generosity in the Medicare Advantage program.
J Health Econ 2018 Sep;61:77-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2018.07.002..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medicare, Policy
Hudson JL, Moriya AS
AHRQ Author: Hudson JL, Moriya AS
Association between marketplace policy and public coverage among Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program-eligible children and parents.
This paper examines the association between marketplace policy and public coverage among Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)-eligible children and parents. The study’s results suggest that streamlining Medicaid/CHIP enrollment may have played a substantial role in increased take-up of public coverage.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hudson JL, Moriya AS .
Association between marketplace policy and public coverage among Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program-eligible children and parents.
JAMA Pediatr 2018 Sep;172(9):881-82. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.1497..
Keywords: Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Health Insurance, Medicaid, Policy
Trish E, Herring B
Does limiting allowable rating variation in the small group health insurance market affect employer self-insurance?
This study evaluated the impact of limiting allowable rating variation on employer self-insurance across industries with varied health risk. The investigators found that lower-risk employers subject to laws limiting allowable premium rating variation had a predicted probability of self-insurance that was about 18 percentage points higher than otherwise-similar higher-risk employers, suggesting that selection concerns are warranted.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Trish E, Herring B .
Does limiting allowable rating variation in the small group health insurance market affect employer self-insurance?
J Risk Insur 2018 Sep;85(3):607-33. doi: 10.1111/jori.12184.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Policy
Marino M, Angier H, Valenzuela S
Medicaid coverage accuracy in electronic health records.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the validity of electronic health record (EHR) data for monitoring longitudinal Medicaid coverage and assess variation by patient demographics, visit types, and clinic characteristics. The researchers conducted a retrospective, observational study comparing Medicaid status agreement between Oregon community health center EHR data linked at the patient-level to Medicaid enrollment data (gold standard).
AHRQ-funded; HS024270.
Citation: Marino M, Angier H, Valenzuela S .
Medicaid coverage accuracy in electronic health records.
Prev Med Rep 2018 Sep;11:297-304. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.07.009..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Insurance, Health Services Research (HSR), Medicaid, Policy
Friedman SA, Azocar F, Xu H
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) evaluation study: did parity differentially affect substance use disorder and mental health benefits offered by behavioral healthcare carve-out and carve-in plans?
The purpose of the stud was to assess whether implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) was associated with: 1. Reduced differences in financial requirements (i.e., copayments and coinsurance) for substance use disorder (SUD) versus specialty mental health (MH) care and 2. Reductions in the level of cost-sharing for SUD-specific services.
AHRQ-funded; HS024866.
Citation: Friedman SA, Azocar F, Xu H .
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) evaluation study: did parity differentially affect substance use disorder and mental health benefits offered by behavioral healthcare carve-out and carve-in plans?
Drug Alcohol Depend 2018 Sep 1;190:151-58. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.06.008..
Keywords: Behavioral Health, Health Insurance, Policy, Substance Abuse
Zawacki AM, Vistnes JP, Buchmueller TC
AHRQ Author: Vistnes JP
Why are employer-sponsored health insurance premiums higher in the public sector than in the private sector?
This paper examines the factors explaining differences in public and private sector health insurance premiums for enrollees with single coverage using data from the 2000 and 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component, along with decomposition methods, to explore the relative explanatory importance of plan features and benefit generosity, such as deductibles and other forms of cost sharing, basic employee characteristics (e.g., age, gender, and education), and unionization.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Zawacki AM, Vistnes JP, Buchmueller TC .
Why are employer-sponsored health insurance premiums higher in the public sector than in the private sector?
Mon Labor Rev 2018 Sep. doi: 10.21916/mlr.2018.22..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Nguyen KH, Trivedi AN, Shireman TI
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults report continued problems affording care despite coverage gains.
This study’s investigators used data from three waves of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine access to a personal doctor, affordability of care, type of health insurance coverage, and self-reported health in LGB adults in the period January 2014-February 2017 in thirty-one states that implemented the Affordable Care Act system's sexual orientation module.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Nguyen KH, Trivedi AN, Shireman TI .
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults report continued problems affording care despite coverage gains.
Health Aff 2018 Aug;37(8):1306-12. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0281.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Uninsured, Vulnerable Populations
Decker SL, Moriya AS, Soni A
AHRQ Author: AHRQ authors - Decker and Moriya
Coverage for self-employed and others without employer offers increased after 2014.
This study examined how the Affordable Care Act might have differentially affected insurance coverage for self-employed workers, wage earners with and without offers of employer-sponsored insurance, and people not employed.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Decker SL, Moriya AS, Soni A .
Coverage for self-employed and others without employer offers increased after 2014.
Health Aff 2018 Aug;37(8):1238-42. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1663..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Policy, Uninsured
Miller GE, Vistnes JP, Rohde F
AHRQ Author: Miller GE, Vistnes JP, Rohde F, Keenan PS
High-deductible health plan enrollment increased from 2006 to 2016, employer-funded accounts grew in largest firms
This study used data from private-sector establishments for 2006 and 2016 from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component to examine trends in high-deductible health plans (HDHP) enrollment and heterogeneity in HDHPs by firm size. The study found that overall, HDHP enrollees in the largest firms had significant advantages relative to workers in smaller firms along all of the dimensions examined.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Miller GE, Vistnes JP, Rohde F .
High-deductible health plan enrollment increased from 2006 to 2016, employer-funded accounts grew in largest firms
Health Aff 2018 Aug;37(8):1231-37. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0188..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Andrews CM, Grogan CM, Smith BT
Medicaid benefits for addiction treatment expanded after implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
This study looked at the effects the Affordable Care Act (ACA) had on Medicaid benefits for addiction treatment. The ACA established a minimum standard of benefits and required state Medicaid programs to make changes to their treatment benefits. Researchers surveyed all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2014 and 2017 when the ACA requirements came into effect. There was a substantial increase in benefits with a decrease in annual service limits of over 50 percent. There was a large reduction in preauthorization requirements for medications to treat opioid use disorder as well as other reductions in preauthorizations.
AHRQ-funded; HS000084.
Citation: Andrews CM, Grogan CM, Smith BT .
Medicaid benefits for addiction treatment expanded after implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Health Aff 2018 Aug;37(8):1216-22. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0272..
Keywords: Access to Care, Behavioral Health, Health Insurance, Medicaid, Policy, Substance Abuse
Ndumele CD, Schpero WL, Trivedi AN
Medicaid expansion and health plan quality in Medicaid managed care.
The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of the 2014 Medicaid expansion on Medicaid managed care plan quality. The study concluded that Medicaid expansion increased enrollment in managed care plans, but it did not result in erosion of quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589.
Citation: Ndumele CD, Schpero WL, Trivedi AN .
Medicaid expansion and health plan quality in Medicaid managed care.
Health Serv Res 2018 Aug;53 Suppl 1:2821-38. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12814..
Keywords: Policy, Health Services Research (HSR), Health Insurance, Medicaid
Zhang Y, Baik SH, Zuvekas SH
Simulating variation in families' spending across marketplace plans.
The purpose of this study was to examine variations in premium and cost-sharing across marketplace plans available to eligible families using data from Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), the 2011 Medicare Part D public formulary file, and 2014 health plan data from healthcare.gov. Researchers identified a nationally representative cohort of individuals in MEPS who would have been eligible for marketplace coverage; for each family, they simulated the total out-of-pocket payment under each available plan in their county of residence, assuming their pre-marketplace use. They found substantial variation in total family health care spending, especially in the premium component, across marketplace plans, even within a plan tier.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Zhang Y, Baik SH, Zuvekas SH .
Simulating variation in families' spending across marketplace plans.
Health Serv Res 2018 Aug;53(4):2285-302. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12831..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)