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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.
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1 to 6 of 6 Research Studies DisplayedFung 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
Khouja T, Burgette JM, Donohue JM
Association between Medicaid expansion, dental coverage policies for adults, and children's receipt of preventive dental services.
Researchers examined whether low-income children's use of preventive dental services is linked to variation in state Medicaid policies that affect parents' access to dental care in Medicaid. Using MEPS data along with Area Health Resources File and Medicaid adult dental coverage policies, they found no change in children's receipt of preventive dental care associated with Medicaid expansions in states that covered vs did not cover preventive dental services for adults. They concluded that factors other than parental access to dental benefits through Medicaid may be more salient determinants of preventive dental care use among low-income children.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Khouja T, Burgette JM, Donohue JM .
Association between Medicaid expansion, dental coverage policies for adults, and children's receipt of preventive dental services.
Health Serv Res 2020 Oct;55(5):642-50. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13324..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Access to Care, Policy
Selden TM, Lipton BJ, Decker SL
AHRQ Author: Selden TM, Lipton BJ, Decker SL
Medicaid expansion and marketplace eligibility both increased coverage, with trade-offs in access, affordability.
The researchers found that as of 2015, adults with incomes of 100-138 percent of the federal poverty level had experienced large declines in uninsurance rates in both expansion and nonexpansion states. Adults in expansion and nonexpansion states also experienced similar increases in having a usual source of care and primary care visits, and similar reductions in delayed receipt of medical care due to cost.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Selden TM, Lipton BJ, Decker SL .
Medicaid expansion and marketplace eligibility both increased coverage, with trade-offs in access, affordability.
Health Aff 2017 Dec;36(12):2069-77. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0830.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Health Insurance, Policy, Low-Income, Medicaid, Uninsured
Sommers BD, Maylone B, Blendon RJ
Three-year impacts of the Affordable Care Act: improved medical care and health among low-income adults.
Using survey data collected from low-income adults through the end of 2016 in three states: Kentucky, which expanded Medicaid; Arkansas, which expanded private insurance to low-income adults using the federal Marketplace; and Texas, which did not expand coverage, researchers found that by the end of 2016 the uninsurance rate in the two expansion states had dropped by more than 20 percentage points relative to the nonexpansion state.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Sommers BD, Maylone B, Blendon RJ .
Three-year impacts of the Affordable Care Act: improved medical care and health among low-income adults.
Health Aff 2017 Jun;36(6):1119-28. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0293.
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Keywords: Policy, Low-Income, Access to Care, Health Insurance, Uninsured
Cole MB, Galarraga O, Wilson IB
At federally funded health centers, Medicaid expansion was associated with improved quality of care.
In 2014 many uninsured, low-income nonelderly adults gained access to health insurance in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. The researchers used a difference-in-differences approach to compare changes among 1,057 such centers in expansion versus nonexpansion States. Medicaid expansion was associated with improved quality for asthma treatment, Pap testing, body mass index assessment, and hypertension control.
AHRQ-funded; HS024652.
Citation: Cole MB, Galarraga O, Wilson IB .
At federally funded health centers, Medicaid expansion was associated with improved quality of care.
Health Aff 2017 Jan;36(1):40-48. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0804.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Policy, Uninsured, Low-Income, Access to Care
Sommers BD, Blendon RJ, Orav EJ
Both the 'private option' and traditional Medicaid expansions improved access to care for low-income adults.
This study found that other than coverage type and trouble paying medical bills (which decreased more in Kentucky than in Arkansas), there were no significant differences between Kentucky's traditional Medicaid expansion and Arkansas's private option, which suggests that both approaches improved access among low-income adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Sommers BD, Blendon RJ, Orav EJ .
Both the 'private option' and traditional Medicaid expansions improved access to care for low-income adults.
Health Aff 2016 Jan;35(1):96-105. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0917.
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Keywords: Medicaid, Low-Income, Healthcare Costs, Access to Care, Policy