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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 434 Research Studies DisplayedEliason EL, Agostino J, Vivier P
Infant health care disruptions by race and ethnicity, income, and insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This cross-sectional study examined the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on infant health care, and broke it down by race and ethnicity, income, and insurance type. This study used the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System COVID-19 supplement with data from 29 jurisdictions to examine infant health care disruptions due to the pandemic: 1) well visits/checkups canceled or delayed, 2) well visits/checkups changed to virtual appointments, and 3) postponed immunizations. The authors found that among 12,053 parental respondents with infants born from April to December 2020, 7.25% reported cancelations or delays in infant well visits/checkups, 5.49% reported changes to virtual infant care appointments, and 5.33% reported postponing immunizations, with significant differences by race and ethnicity, income, and insurance type. They found higher odds of canceling/delaying visits and postponing immunizations among non-Hispanic Black infants and infants whose parents were uninsured or had Medicaid-paid deliveries. The odds of switching to virtual appointments was also significantly higher among Hispanic infants and infants whose parents had Medicaid-paid deliveries.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Eliason EL, Agostino J, Vivier P .
Infant health care disruptions by race and ethnicity, income, and insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acad Pediatr 2024 Jan-Feb; 24(1):105-10. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2023.07.005..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, COVID-19, Access to Care, Uninsured, Health Insurance, Healthcare Delivery
Roberts ET, Xue L, Lovelace J
Changes in care associated with integrating Medicare and Medicaid for dual-eligible individuals.
This study’s objective was to evaluate changes in care associated with integrating Medicare and Medicaid coverage in a fully integrated dual-eligible special needs plan (FIDE-SNP) in Pennsylvania. This cohort study used a difference-in-differences analysis compared changes in care between 2 cohorts of dual-eligible individuals: (1) an integration cohort composed of Medicare Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan enrollees who joined a companion Medicaid plan following a 2018 state reform mandating Medicaid managed care (leading to integration), and (2) a comparison cohort with nonintegrated coverage before and after the start of Medicaid managed care. Analyses were conducted of outcomes in 4 domains: use of home- and community-based services (HCBS), care management and coordination, hospital stays and postacute care, and long-term nursing home stays. The study included 7967 individuals in the integration cohort and 3832 individuals in the comparison cohort. HCBS use increased differentially in the integration vs comparison cohorts by 0.61 days/person-month. However, integration was not associated with changes in care management and coordination, including medication use for chronic conditions (-0.02 fills/person-month) or follow-up outpatient care after a hospital stay (-0.01 visits/hospital stay). There was no significant difference in hospital stays between the cohorts.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Roberts ET, Xue L, Lovelace J .
Changes in care associated with integrating Medicare and Medicaid for dual-eligible individuals.
JAMA Health Forum 2023 Dec; 4(12):e234583. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.4583..
Keywords: Medicare, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Surgery, Outcomes
Meiselbach MK, Huskamp HA, Eddelbuettel JCP
Choice of high-deductible health plans among enrollees with a substance use disorder.
Researchers examined factors associated with the decision of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) to enroll in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). They used de-identified administrative commercial claims and enrollment data from OptumLabs to identify individuals at employers that offered at least one HDHP and one non-HDHP plan. Their findings showed that a health reimbursement arrangement was associated with a higher probability of new and re-enrollment in an HDHP. Older enrollees with SUD were less likely to enroll in a new HDHP, while enrollees who were non-White, lower income, and in lower educational attainment census blocks were more likely to newly enroll. The researchers concluded that, given the emerging evidence that HDHPs may discourage SUD treatment, higher HDHP enrollment could exacerbate health disparities.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Meiselbach MK, Huskamp HA, Eddelbuettel JCP .
Choice of high-deductible health plans among enrollees with a substance use disorder.
J Subst Use Addict Treat 2023 Nov; 154:209152. doi: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209152.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health
Daw JR, Yekta S, Jacobson-Davies FE
Consistency and adequacy of public and commercial health insurance for US children, 2016 to 2021.
This study used the 2016 to 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health to compare overall rates, COVID-19 public health emergency-related changes, and child and family characteristics associated with inconsistent and inadequate coverage for publicly and commercially insured children. The authors were looking at inconsistent insurance, defined by failure to meet 3 criteria: (1) benefits usually/always sufficient to meet child's needs; (2) coverage usually/always allows child to access needed health care practitioners; and (3) no or usually/always reasonable annual out-of-pocket payments for child's health care. Of this nationally representative sample of 203,691 insured children, 34.5% were publicly insured (mean age 8.4 [4.1] years; 47.4% female) and 65.5% were commercially insured (mean age, 8.7 [5.6]; 49.1% female). Most publicly insured children were either non-Hispanic Black (20.9%) or Hispanic (36.4%); living with 2 married parents (38.4%) or a single parent (33.1%); and had a household income less than 200% of the federal poverty level (79%); and most commercially insured children were non-Hispanic White (62.8%), living with 2 married parents (79.0%); and had a household income of 400% of the federal poverty level or higher (49.1%). Compared with commercially insured children, publicly insured children had higher rates of inconsistent coverage (4.2% vs 1.4%; difference, 2.7 percentage points [pp]) and lower rates of inadequate coverage (12.2% vs 33.0%; difference). Compared with the period from 2016 to 2019, inconsistent insurance decreased by 42% for publicly insured children and inadequate insurance decreased by 6% for commercially insured children during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) (2020-2021).
AHRQ-funded; HS029159.
Citation: Daw JR, Yekta S, Jacobson-Davies FE .
Consistency and adequacy of public and commercial health insurance for US children, 2016 to 2021.
JAMA Health Forum 2023 Nov; 4(11):e234179. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.4179..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Insurance, COVID-19
Bernard DM, Selden TM, Fang Z
AHRQ Author: Bernard
The joint distribution of high out-of-pocket burdens, medical debt, and financial barriers to needed care.
This AHRQ-authored paper examined the joint distribution of three financial problems related to healthcare: high out-of-pocket burdens, medical debt, and financial barriers to needed care. The authors applied relatively strict definitions of financial problems to data from the 2018-2019 MEPS and found that 27% of nonsenior adults lived in families with at least one of the three financial strains assessed. The percentage of participants who faced more broadly defined financial problems was 45.5%. This prevalence varied across sociodemographic characteristics, families' health care needs, insurance coverage, and financial resources.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bernard DM, Selden TM, Fang Z .
The joint distribution of high out-of-pocket burdens, medical debt, and financial barriers to needed care.
Health Aff 2023 Nov; 42(11):1517-26. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00604..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Access to Care, Health Insurance
Scott JW, Neiman PU, Scott KW
High deductibles are associated with severe disease, catastrophic out-of-pocket payments for emergency surgical conditions.
This retrospective analysis of claims data examined the association of a high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP) with severe disease and catastrophic out-of-pocket payments for emergency surgical conditions (e.g., appendicitis, cholecystitis, diverticulitis, and intestinal obstruction). Primary outcome was disease severity at presentation-determined using ICD-10-CM diagnoses codes and based on validated measures of anatomic severity (e.g., perforation, abscess, diffuse peritonitis). The secondary outcome was catastrophic out-of-pocket spending, defined by the World Health Organization as out-of-pocket spending >10% of annual income. Among 43,516 patients [mean age 48.4 years; 51% female], 41% were enrolled in HDHPs. Despite being younger, healthier, wealthier, and more educated, HDHP enrollees were more likely to present with more severe disease (28.5% vs 21.3%); even after adjusting for relevant demographics. HDHP enrollees were also more likely to incur 30-day out-of-pocket spending that exceeded 10% of annual income (20.8% vs 6.4%).
AHRQ-funded; HS027788; HS028672.
Citation: Scott JW, Neiman PU, Scott KW .
High deductibles are associated with severe disease, catastrophic out-of-pocket payments for emergency surgical conditions.
Ann Surg 2023 Oct 1; 278(4):e667-e74. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000005819..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Payment, Surgery
Zachrison KS, Hsia RY, Schwamm LH
Insurance-based disparities in stroke center access in california: a network science approach.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is a relationship between ischemic stroke patient insurance and probability of transfer to a stroke center overall as well as whether hospital cluster modified the relationship between insurance and likelihood of stroke center transfer. The study included 332,995 total ischemic stroke encounters, with 3.5% transferred from the initial ED. The study found that of 52,316 participants presenting to a non-stroke center, 7.1% were transferred. Compared to privately insured patients, there were lower odds of transfer and of transfer to a stroke center among all groups. Within the 14 identified hospital clusters, there was variation in insurance-based disparities in transfer. The largest hospital was also the lowest performing cluster which fully explained the insurance-based disparity in odds of stroke center transfer. The study concluded that uninsured patients had lower stroke center access through transfer than patients with insurance, with the variation primarily explained by patterns in 1 specific hospital cluster.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation: Zachrison KS, Hsia RY, Schwamm LH .
Insurance-based disparities in stroke center access in california: a network science approach.
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2023 Oct; 16(10):e009868. doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.122.009868..
Keywords: Access to Care, Stroke, Cardiovascular Conditions, Disparities, Health Insurance, Uninsured
Graves JA, Lee D, Leszinsky L
Physician patient sharing relationships within insurance plan networks.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess patient relationships shared between primary care physicians (PCPs), cardiologists, and oncologists, and the level at which those relationships were indicated within insurance networks. The study found that on average, networks captured 64.6% of PCP-cardiology shared patient ties, and 61.8% of PCP-oncologist ties. Fewer than 50% of in-network ties were among physicians with a mutual organizational affiliation. After adjusting for the breadth of the network, the researchers found no evidence of differences in the shared patient percentage across insurance market segments or different types of networks. One exception was among national networks compared to local and regional networks, where national plans indicated fewer shared patient ties, especially in the narrowest networks.
AHRQ-funded; HS025976.
Citation: Graves JA, Lee D, Leszinsky L .
Physician patient sharing relationships within insurance plan networks.
Health Serv Res 2023 Oct;58(5):1056-65. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14138..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Provider: Physician, Medicare
Mellor JM, McInerney M, Garrow RC
The impact of Medicaid expansion on spending and utilization by older low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
This study examined indirect spillover effects of Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions to working-age adults on health care coverage, spending, and utilization by older low-income Medicare beneficiaries. The authors used data from the 2010-2018 Health and Retirement Study survey linked to annual Medicare beneficiary summary files. They estimated individual-level difference-in-differences models of total spending for inpatient, institutional outpatient, physician/professional provider services; inpatient stays, outpatient visits, physician visits; and Medicaid and Part A and B Medicare coverage. They also compared changes in outcomes before and after Medicaid expansion in expansion versus nonexpansion states. The sample included low-income respondents aged 69 and older with linked Medicare data, enrolled in full-year traditional Medicare, and living in the community. ACA Medicaid expansion was associated with a 9.8 percentage point increase in Medicaid coverage, a 4.4 percentage point increase in having any institutional outpatient spending, and a positive but statistically insignificant 2.4 percentage point change in Part B enrollment.
AHRQ-funded; HS025422.
Citation: Mellor JM, McInerney M, Garrow RC .
The impact of Medicaid expansion on spending and utilization by older low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Health Serv Res 2023 Oct; 58(5):1024-34. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14155..
Keywords: Medicaid, Medicare, Low-Income, Healthcare Utilization, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance
Jazowski SA, Vaidya AU, Donohue JM
Commercial health plan and enrollee out-of-pocket spending on accelerated approval products in 2019.
Accelerated approval products, including those of low or uncertain therapeutic value, have cost Medicare and Medicaid billions of dollars annually. The financial implications of this program for commercial payers is unknown. The purpose of this study was to estimate health plan and out-of-pocket spending on product indication pairs (products provided accelerated approval for specific indications) that did and did not confirm clinical benefit. The study found that commercial health plan spending on 93 product indication pairs totaled $1.3 billion in 2019. When this amount was extrapolated to all US ESI plans, the total equaled $9.0 billion. Health plans spent over double on product-indication pairs converted to full approval based on surrogate end points when compared to those based on clinical end points. Health plan expenditures on product-indication pairs not yet converted to full approval equaled $261.9 million ($1.9 billion for all US ESI plans). Sixty-nine percent of that amount was ascribed to those with post-marketing studies within FDA deadlines. Out-of-pocket spending totaled $17.5million, or $125.5 million for all US ESI enrollees. Fewer than one-fifth of enrollees pending was on product-indication pairs converted to full approval based on clinical end points. Of the $5.9 million spent on product-indication pairs not yet converted to full approval, 46%was ascribed to those with post-marketing studies within FDA deadlines.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Jazowski SA, Vaidya AU, Donohue JM .
Commercial health plan and enrollee out-of-pocket spending on accelerated approval products in 2019.
JAMA Intern Med 2023 Sep; 183(9):1016-18. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.2381..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs
Eddelbuettel JCP, Barry CL, Kennedy-Hendricks A
High-deductible health plans and nonfatal opioid overdose.
This study examined whether an employer offering a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) had an impact on nonfatal opioid overdose among commercially insured individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States. The authors used deidentified insurance claims data from 2007 to 2017 with 97,788 person-years. They estimated the change in the probability of a nonfatal opioid overdose among enrollees with OUD whose employers began offering an HDHP insurance option during the study period compared with the change among those whose employer never offered an HDHP. Across both groups, 2% of the sample experienced a nonfatal opioid overdose during the study period. They found no association of HDHP with an observed increase in the probability of nonfatal opioid overdose among commercially insured person-years with OUD.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Eddelbuettel JCP, Barry CL, Kennedy-Hendricks A .
High-deductible health plans and nonfatal opioid overdose.
Med Care 2023 Sep; 61(9):601-04. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001886..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health
Hogg-Graham R, Gatton KR, Ingram R
Association between insurer connectivity in Appalachian population health networks and preventable hospitalizations: evidence from Kentucky.
Capacity in community health and social services networks may be limited in geographic regions like Appalachia because of the combined effects of rurality and consistently poor health and social outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine insurer connectivity in cross-sector networks across Kentucky’s geographic regions and the relationship between connectivity and the probability of preventable hospitalizations. The study found sizable geographic differences in the relationship between insurer connectivity in community networks and preventable hospitalization. Insurer connectivity in rural Appalachian communities was related with decreased likelihood that an individual was admitted for a preventable hospitalization.
AHRQ-funded; HS025494.
Citation: Hogg-Graham R, Gatton KR, Ingram R .
Association between insurer connectivity in Appalachian population health networks and preventable hospitalizations: evidence from Kentucky.
J Appalach Health 2023 Aug; 5(2)..
Keywords: Rural Health, Rural/Inner-City Residents, Prevention, Hospitalization, Health Insurance
Decker S, Dworsky M, Gibson TB
AHRQ Author: Decker S
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Insurance Expansions on Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits.
The authors leveraged ACA coverage expansions, including Medicaid expansion and Marketplaces, to study the impact of health insurance on opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits. They used ZIP-code–level ED utilization data from HCUP’s State Inpatient Databases (SID) and State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) for 29 states. They found evidence of a dose-response relationship between pre-ACA uninsured and changes in ED visit rates in both expansion and non-expansion states: areas with higher uninsured rates prior to ACA saw larger reductions in opioid-related ED visits after the ACA took effect. The authors concluded that these findings suggest that increased insurance coverage may to help mitigate the opioid crisis.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Decker S, Dworsky M, Gibson TB .
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Insurance Expansions on Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits.
American Journal of Health Economics 2023 Sum; 9(3):405–34..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Opioids, Policy, Health Insurance, Emergency Department, Access to Care, Medicaid, Healthcare Utilization
Hill SC, Jacobs PD, Johnson CA
AHRQ Author: Hill SC, Jacobs PD
Availability of off-marketplace plans with lower premiums for higher-income families.
Prior to 2021, families with incomes above 400% of the federal poverty level were ineligible for marketplace premium tax credits and may again be after 2025. This income cap was temporarily removed by current laws, but some higher-income families still receive zero tax credits because credits limit out-of-pocket premiums for a reference plan as a portion of income. The purpose of this study was to quantify 2 variables: 1) premium variations between on- and off-marketplace plans and 2) the relationship between these premium variations and state decisions to finance cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) for lower-income families. The researchers developed a comprehensive database of on- and off-marketplace plans in each county and compared on- and off-marketplace plan premiums in 2020 and the rates of growth in the numbers of plans. The study found that in 2020, 89% of the United States population lived in counties with an availability of plans offered only off-marketplace. In those counties premiums for the lowest-cost off-marketplace plans averaged 11.3% less than premiums for the lowest-cost on-marketplace plans. In comparison the lowest-cost off-marketplace plans were more expensive on average. Silver plan premiums were 6.1% higher off-marketplace than on-marketplace in states that loaded CSRs on all silver plans, and 13.5% lower in states that loaded CSRs only on on-marketplace silver plans.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hill SC, Jacobs PD, Johnson CA .
Availability of off-marketplace plans with lower premiums for higher-income families.
Am J Manag Care 2023 Jul; 29(7):371-76. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2023.89397..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs
Eliason EL, Thoma ME, Steenland MW
Differences in use of fertility treatment between people with Medicaid and private health insurance coverage in the United States.
This study compared differences in receipt of any and specific types of fertility services between people with Medicaid and private insurance. The authors used National Survey of Family Growth (2002-2019) data and linear probability regression models to examine the association between insurance type (Medicaid or private) and fertility service use. Primary outcome was use of fertility services in the past 12 months with secondary outcomes use of specific types of fertility services at any time: 1) testing, 2) common medical treatment, and 3) use of any fertility treatment type (testing, medical treatment, or surgical treatment of infertility). In adjusted models, Medicaid coverage was associated with an 11.2% lower use of fertility services in the past 12 months compared with private coverage. Medicaid insurance was also associated with large and statistically significantly lower rates of ever having used infertility testing or any fertility services compared to private insurance coverage. There was no difference in time-to-pregnancy with insurance type.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464; HS000011.
Citation: Eliason EL, Thoma ME, Steenland MW .
Differences in use of fertility treatment between people with Medicaid and private health insurance coverage in the United States.
Womens Health Issues 2023 Jul-Aug; 33(4):367-73. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2023.03.003..
Keywords: Access to Care, Medicaid, Health Insurance
Eliason E, Admon LK, Steenland MW
Late postpartum coverage loss before COVID-19: implications for Medicaid unwinding.
The purpose of this study was to explore the loss of Medicaid coverage in toward the end of the postpartum period prior to COVID-19 and describe the implications for Medicaid unwinding. The researchers utilized unique Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System follow-up data from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that only 68% of enrollees in prenatal Medicaid maintained continuous Medicaid coverage through 9 or 10 months postpartum. Of the total prenatal Medicaid enrollees who lost their coverage in the early postpartum period, two-thirds continued to be uninsured 9 to 10 months postpartum. The researchers concluded that extensions to state postpartum Medicaid could prevent a return to postpartum coverage loss rates similar to the level in the prepandemic period.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464; HS000011.
Citation: Eliason E, Admon LK, Steenland MW .
Late postpartum coverage loss before COVID-19: implications for Medicaid unwinding.
Health Aff 2023 Jul; 42(7):966-72. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01659..
Keywords: COVID-19, Maternal Care, Medicaid, Women, Access to Care, Uninsured, Health Insurance
Vasan A, Kenyon CC, Fiks AG
Continuous eligibility and coverage policies expanded children's Medicaid enrollment.
Researchers examined children's participation in Medicaid during 2019-21. Their findings found that states that had adopted continuous Medicaid coverage for children during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced a 4.62 percent relative increase in children's Medicaid participation when compared with states with existing continuous eligibility policies.
AHRQ-funded; HS028555.
Citation: Vasan A, Kenyon CC, Fiks AG .
Continuous eligibility and coverage policies expanded children's Medicaid enrollment.
Health Aff 2023 Jun; 42(6):753-58. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01465..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Medicaid, Policy, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Roberts ET, Mellor JM, McInerny MP
Effects of a Medicaid dental coverage "cliff" on dental care access among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Medicare beneficiaries with income levels slightly exceeding the thresholds of eligibility for Medicaid have few affordable options for dental coverage. This gap results in a dental coverage “cliff” above these thresholds. The purpose of this study was to assess how a sudden drop-off in dental coverage from Medicaid impacts access to dental care in low-income Medicare beneficiaries. The researchers studied low-income community resident Medicare recipients whose incomes were within approximately 75 percentage points of state-specific Medicaid income eligibility thresholds. The study found that Medicare beneficiaries whose income was higher than Medicaid eligibility thresholds were 5.0 percentage points more likely to report challenges accessing dental care because of cost concerns or a lack of insurance than beneficiaries below the thresholds.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727; HS025422.
Citation: Roberts ET, Mellor JM, McInerny MP .
Effects of a Medicaid dental coverage "cliff" on dental care access among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Health Serv Res 2023 Jun; 58(3):589-98. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13981..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Medicaid, Medicare, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Saldanha IJ, Adam GP, Kanaan G
Health insurance coverage and postpartum outcomes in the US: a systematic review.
The objective of this evidence review was to assess whether extension of health insurance coverage or improvements in health care access are associated with postpartum health care utilization and maternal outcomes. Findings with moderate strength of evidence suggested that more comprehensive association was likely to be related to greater postpartum visit attendance; findings with low strength of evidence indicated a possible association between more comprehensive insurance, fewer preventable readmissions, and emergency department visits. The authors concluded that these findings suggested that evidence evaluating insurance coverage and postpartum visit attendance and unplanned care utilization is, at best, of moderate strength of evidence. They recommended that future research should evaluate clinical outcomes associated with more comprehensive insurance coverage.
AHRQ-funded; 75Q80120D00001.
Citation: Saldanha IJ, Adam GP, Kanaan G .
Health insurance coverage and postpartum outcomes in the US: a systematic review.
JAMA Netw Open 2023 Jun; 6(6):e2316536. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.16536..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Maternal Care, Women, Outcomes, Medicaid, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Hogg-Graham R, Mamaril CB, Benitez JA
Impact of state Medicaid expansion on cross-sector health and social service networks: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study.
This study’s objective was to examine the impact of state Medicaid expansion on the delivery of population health activities in cross-sector health and social services networks. The authors used data measuring the composition of cross-sector population health networks from the 2006-2018 National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems (NALSYS) linked with the Area Health Resource File. They restricted their data to jurisdictions serving populations of 100,000 or more and states that had NALSYS observations across all time periods, resulting in a final sample size of 667. Results indicated that Medicaid expansion was associated with a 2.3 percentage point increase in the density of population health networks. Communities in states with expanded Medicaid experienced significant increases in the participation of local public health, local government, hospitals, nonprofits, insurers, and K-12 schools. Of the organizations with significant increases in expansion communities, nonprofits (7.7 percentage points,), local public health agencies (6.5 percentage points), hospitals (5.8 percentage points), and local government agencies (6.0 percentage points) had the largest gains.
AHRQ-funded; HS025494.
Citation: Hogg-Graham R, Mamaril CB, Benitez JA .
Impact of state Medicaid expansion on cross-sector health and social service networks: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study.
Health Serv Res 2023 Jun; 58(3):634-41. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14144..
Keywords: Medicaid, Health Insurance, Community-Based Practice, Access to Care
Roberts ET, Kwon Y, Hames AG
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care use and access associated with loss of Medicaid supplemental insurance eligibility above the federal poverty level.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether exceeding the income threshold for Medicaid, which causes a sudden loss of Medicaid eligibility, is related with higher racial and ethnic disparities in access to and use of care. The researchers evaluated Medicare beneficiaries with incomes 0% to 200% of FPL from the 2008 to 2018 biennial waves of the Health and Retirement Study linked to Medicare administrative data. To identify racial and ethnic disparities related with the loss of Medicaid eligibility, the researchers compared discontinuities in outcomes among Black and Hispanic beneficiaries and White beneficiaries. Analyses were conducted between January 1, 2022, and October 1, 2022. The primary outcomes were patient-reported challenges accessing care due to cost and outpatient service use, medication fills, and hospitalizations measured from Medicare administrative data. The study included 8,144 participants representing 151,282, 957 weighted person-years in the community-dwelling population of Medicare beneficiaries aged 50 years and older and incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Study findings indicate that exceeding the Medicaid eligibility threshold was related with a 43.8 percentage point (pp) lower probability of Medicaid enrollment among Black and Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries and a 31.0 pp lower probability of Medicaid enrollment among White beneficiaries. Among Black and Hispanic beneficiaries, exceeding the threshold was associated with increased cost-related barriers to care, lower outpatient use, and fewer medication fills, but it was not associated with a statistically significant discontinuity in hospitalizations. Discontinuities in these outcomes were smaller or nonsignificant among White beneficiaries. Consequently, exceeding the threshold was associated with widened disparities, including greater reductions in outpatient service use and medication fills among Black and Hispanic vs White beneficiaries.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Roberts ET, Kwon Y, Hames AG .
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care use and access associated with loss of Medicaid supplemental insurance eligibility above the federal poverty level.
JAMA Intern Med 2023 Jun; 183(6):534-43. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.0512..
Keywords: Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicaid, Access to Care, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Access to Care
Jacobs PD, Moriya AS
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD, Moriya AS
Changes in health coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This AHRQ-authored paper used data from MEPS to examine patterns of health insurance coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors compared the proportion of people whose source of coverage changed from 2019 to 2020 with the proportion of people whose source changed from 2018 to 2019. The sample was limited to those who were interviewed in both 2018 and 2019 or in both 2019 and 2020. The analysis looked at people aged 63 or younger in the first year of the sample. The authors found increased stability for children and nonelderly adults during the first year of the pandemic. Fewer people who had Medicaid in 2019 became uninsured in 2020 (4.3%) than in 2018-19 (7.8%). Residents of Medicaid expansion states who were enrolled in 2019 were less likely to become uninsured in 2020 (3.6%) than was the case in the 2018-2019 period (6.0%). This was also true in non-Medicaid expansion states (6.6% vs 12.4%). However, residents of expansion states were more likely to become enrolled in Medicaid in 2020 if they were previously uninsured in 2019 (21.5%) compared with 2018-2019 (15.3%). For nonexpansion states, there was no detectable change in the percentage transitioning from uninsured to Medicaid over the two time periods (8.5% compared with 6.9%).
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jacobs PD, Moriya AS .
Changes in health coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Affairs 2023 May; 42(5):721-26. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01469..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), COVID-19, Health Insurance, Medicaid, Access to Care
Carlton EF, Becker NV, Moniz MH
Out-of-pocket spending for non-birth-related hospitalizations of privately insured US children, 2017 to 2019.
This study’s goal was to estimate out-of-pocket spending for non-birth pediatric hospitalizations of privately insured children from 2017 to 2019. This study used data from the IBM MarketScan Commercial Database. Among 183,780 hospitalizations, half were for female children, with a median age of 12 (4-16) years. Most (79.0%) hospitalizations were for children with a chronic condition and 24.1% were covered by a high-deductible health plan. Mean (SD) and median (IQR) out-of-pocket spending per hospitalization was $1313 and $656 respectively. Out-of-pocket spending exceeded $3000 for 14.0% of hospitalizations. Factors associated with higher out-of-pocket spending included hospitalization in quarter 1 compared with quarter 4 (average marginal effect [AME], $637) and lack of chronic conditions compared with having a complex chronic condition (AME, $732). Hospitalizations covered by the least generous plans (deductible of $3000 or more and coinsurance of 20% or more) found mean out-of-pocket spending was $1974, while the most generous plans (deductible less than $1000 and coinsurance of 1-19%), mean out-of-pocket spending was found to be $826.
AHRQ-funded; HS025465; HS028817.
Citation: Carlton EF, Becker NV, Moniz MH .
Out-of-pocket spending for non-birth-related hospitalizations of privately insured US children, 2017 to 2019.
JAMA Pediatr 2023 May; 177(5):516-25. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.0130..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Costs, Hospitalization, Health Insurance
Frenier C, McIntyre A
Insurance coverage transitions after disenrollment from Medicaid in Minnesota.
The transition of health insurance following withdrawal from Medicaid is an under-explored area of study. This is particularly significant with the impending cessation of Medicaid's continuous coverage policy due to pandemic relief measures, a shift that is predicted to affect about 18 million individuals. The purpose of this study was to analyze the pattern of insurance transition post-Medicaid disenrollment, specifically in a state where Medicaid expansion was adopted and continuous coverage and eligibility policies were relatively liberal. The study cohort was derived from the Minnesota All Payer Claims Database (MN APCD), with a focus on residents aged 64 or less, who had experienced Medicaid enrollment cessation between January 2018 and February 2019. The final sample included 346,734 cases of Medicaid disenrollment. The study found that approximately 50% of individuals who disenrolled from Medicaid in Minnesota were without observable coverage six months later, with a significant percentage returning to Medicaid within a year. It was also observed that many enrollees didn't transition seamlessly to new coverage, indicating that a meaningful proportion of disenrollment may have occurred among those who were still eligible for Medicaid or experienced short-term changes in eligibility that didn't last for an entire year.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589.
Citation: Frenier C, McIntyre A .
Insurance coverage transitions after disenrollment from Medicaid in Minnesota.
JAMA Netw Open 2023 Apr 3; 6(4):e239379. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.9379..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Medicaid, Uninsured
Meille G, Post B
AHRQ Author: Meille G
The effects of the Medicaid expansion on hospital utilization, employment, and capital.
This AHRQ-authored paper describes the effect of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion on hospital utilization, employment, and capital. The authors conducted a difference-in-differences analysis that compared changes to hospital demand and supply in Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states. They used 2010-2016 data from the American Hospital Association and the Healthcare Cost Report Information System to quantify changes to hospital utilization and characterize how hospitals adjusted labor and capital inputs. Medicaid expansion was associated with increases in emergency department visits and other outpatient hospital visits. They found strong evidence that hospitals met increases in demand by hiring nursing staff and weaker evidence that they increased hiring of technicians and investments in equipment. They found no evidence that hospitals adjusted hiring of physicians, support staff, or investments in other capital inputs.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Meille G, Post B .
The effects of the Medicaid expansion on hospital utilization, employment, and capital.
Med Care Res Rev 2023 Apr;80(2):165-74. doi: 10.1177/10775587221133165.
Keywords: Medicaid, Hospitals, Healthcare Utilization, Health Insurance, Policy, Access to Care, Uninsured