National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Disabilities (1)
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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 8 of 8 Research Studies DisplayedCornelio N, McInerney MP, Mellor JM
Increasing Medicaid's stagnant asset test for people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will help vulnerable seniors.
Researchers examined states' income and asset tests for full-benefit Medicaid during the period 2006-18 and examined how alternative asset tests would affect eligibility for community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older. They found that increasing asset limits would lessen restrictions on Medicaid eligibility that arise from stagnant asset tests, broadening eligibility for certain low-income Medicare beneficiaries and allowing them to retain higher, yet still modest, savings.
AHRQ-funded; HS025422; HS026727; HS027698.
Citation: Cornelio N, McInerney MP, Mellor JM .
Increasing Medicaid's stagnant asset test for people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will help vulnerable seniors.
Health Affairs 2021 Dec;40(12):1943-52. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00841..
Keywords: Elderly, Medicaid, Medicare, Low-Income, Vulnerable Populations
Keohane LM, Trivedi A, Mor V
States with medically needy pathways: differences in long-term and temporary Medicaid entry for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Between January 2009 and June 2010, states with medically needy pathways had a higher percentage of low-income beneficiaries join Medicaid than states without such programs. However, among new full Medicaid participants, living in a state with a medically needy pathway was associated with an increase in the probability of switching to partial Medicaid and an increase in the probability of exiting Medicaid within 12 months. Alternative strategies for protecting low-income Medicare beneficiaries' access to care could provide more stable coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS023016.
Citation: Keohane LM, Trivedi A, Mor V .
States with medically needy pathways: differences in long-term and temporary Medicaid entry for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Med Care Res Rev 2019 Dec;76(6):711-35. doi: 10.1177/1077558717737152..
Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Low-Income, Medicaid, Medicare, Policy
Chatterjee P, Qi M, Coe NB
Association between high discharge rates of vulnerable patients and skilled nursing facility copayments.
The authors sought to determine whether patterns of skilled nursing facility (SNF) discharge are associated with the change in Medicare payment responsibility on day 20. They found that Medicare beneficiaries were more often discharged from SNFs on benefit day 20 than on benefit days 19 or 21. Those discharged on day 20 were more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities and to live in areas of lower socioeconomic status compared with those discharged before or after day 20. Their findings suggested an association between disproportionately high SNF discharge rates of vulnerable patients and existing Medicare payment policies. The authors recommended that payment policies be designed with consideration of the potential for such unintended consequences, and that any potential consequences be mitigated by balancing existing payment structures with incentives to provide optimal patient care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation: Chatterjee P, Qi M, Coe NB .
Association between high discharge rates of vulnerable patients and skilled nursing facility copayments.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Sep;179(9):1296-98. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.1209.
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Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Nursing Homes, Medicare, Payment, Policy, Social Determinants of Health
Roberts ET, Hayley Welsh J, Donohue JM
Association of state policies with Medicaid disenrollment among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
This study examined the role that state policies play in Medicaid disenrollment among low-income Medicare beneficiaries. Medicaid disenrollment among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries was examined for the period 2012-2016. During that period, 18.2% of beneficiaries disenrolled for reasons other than death. Disenrollment was 24% lower in states that automatically enrolled recipients of the Supplemental Security Income program in full Medicaid, 33% lower in states with more generous provider payment policies, and 37% lower in states with less restrictive asset limits for partial Medicaid.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Roberts ET, Hayley Welsh J, Donohue JM .
Association of state policies with Medicaid disenrollment among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Health Aff 2019 Jul;38(7):1153-62. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05165..
Keywords: Medicare, Medicaid, Low-Income, Policy, Vulnerable Populations
Zuckerman RB, Wu S, Chen LM
The five-star skilled nursing facility rating system and care of disadvantaged populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Zuckerman RB, Wu S, Chen LM .
The five-star skilled nursing facility rating system and care of disadvantaged populations.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Jan;67(1):108-14. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15629..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Vulnerable Populations, Medicare, Elderly, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Hospital Discharge, Disparities
Werner RM, Kanter GP, Polsky D
Association of physician group participation in Accountable Care Organizations with patient social and clinical characteristics.
The goal of this retrospective cohort study was to estimate the association between the patient characteristics of a physician group and the group's participation in a newly formed accountable care organization (ACOs). A random sample of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries attributed to physician groups were identified by Medicare claims made before ACO participation. Physician groups that participated and did not participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) were then identified. ACO-participating physician groups were compared with non-participating groups for reference, and estimates were made at both the physician and patient level. The study found that physician groups that participated in the MSSP ACO program cared for more vulnerable patients than non-participating groups did; ACO-participating physician groups cared for an equally large number of vulnerable patients compared with non-participating groups. The authors conclude that ACOs may be an effective approach to target care among high-risk patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS025184.
Citation: Werner RM, Kanter GP, Polsky D .
Association of physician group participation in Accountable Care Organizations with patient social and clinical characteristics.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Jan 4;2(1):e187220. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.7220..
Keywords: Health Services Research (HSR), Medicare, Vulnerable Populations
Sen AP, Chen LM, Wong Samson L
Performance in the Medicare Shared Savings Program by accountable care organizations disproportionately serving dual and disabled populations.
The purpose of this study was to examine performance by accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the top quintile of their proportion of beneficiaries who were dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (high-dual), and the top quintile of disabled beneficiaries (high-disabled). Measures used were quality scores, savings per beneficiary, whether or not the ACO shared savings and the amount of shared savings. The researchers found that high-dual and high-disabled ACOs had similar or higher spending than other ACOs at baseline, but achieved greater savings and were equally or more likely to earn shared savings; alternative payment models can have positive financial outcomes for providers serving vulnerable populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS024698.
Citation: Sen AP, Chen LM, Wong Samson L .
Performance in the Medicare Shared Savings Program by accountable care organizations disproportionately serving dual and disabled populations.
Med Care 2018 Sep;56(9):805-11. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000968..
Keywords: Disabilities, Medicare, Healthcare Costs, Provider Performance, Payment, Low-Income, Vulnerable Populations
Colla CH, Lewis VA, Kao LS
Association between Medicare accountable care organization implementation and spending among clinically vulnerable beneficiaries.
The purpose of this cohort study was to examine the effect of Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) contracts on both spending and high-cost institutional utilization for all Medicare beneficiaries and for clinically vulnerable beneficiaries. The main outcomes and measures for this study were total spending per beneficiary-quarter, spending categories, utilization of hospitals and emergency departments, ambulatory care sensitive admissions, and 30-day readmissions. The study found that total spending decreased by $34 per beneficiary-quarter after implementation of ACO contracts across the overall Medicare population and decreased $114 in clinically vulnerable patients. In the overall Medicare cohort, hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased by 1.3 and 3.0 events per 1000 beneficiaries per quarter, respectively. Hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased in the clinically vulnerable cohort by 2.9 and 4.1 events per 1000 beneficiaries per quarter, respectively. Variations in total spending related with ACOs did not differ by clinical condition of beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Colla CH, Lewis VA, Kao LS .
Association between Medicare accountable care organization implementation and spending among clinically vulnerable beneficiaries.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Aug;176(8):1167-75. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.2827.
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Keywords: Medicare, Policy, Healthcare Costs, Payment, Vulnerable Populations