National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (3)
- Children/Adolescents (2)
- Disparities (1)
- (-) Emergency Department (15)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (2)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (7)
- Healthcare Costs (3)
- Healthcare Utilization (4)
- (-) Health Insurance (15)
- Hospitalization (3)
- Hospital Readmissions (1)
- Hospitals (1)
- Low-Income (2)
- Medicaid (3)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (1)
- Opioids (1)
- Payment (1)
- Policy (4)
- Primary Care (2)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (1)
- Uninsured (2)
- Young Adults (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 15 of 15 Research Studies DisplayedDecker 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
Moriya AS, Chakravarty S
AHRQ Author: Moriya AS
Racial and ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits five years after ACA Medicaid expansions,.
This AHRQ-authored paper examined whether the 2014 Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions mitigated existing racial or ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits. The authors used inpatient data from twenty-nine states and ED data from twenty-six states for the period 2011 to 2018. They found that Medicaid expansions decreased disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits between non-Hispanic Black and White nonelderly adults by 10 percent or more. There were no significant effects on disparities between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White nonelderly adults. Their findings highlight sustained improvements in community-level care for non-Hispanic Black populations, but also suggest access barriers experienced by Hispanic adults that need to be addressed beyond Medicaid eligibility expansion.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Moriya AS, Chakravarty S .
Racial and ethnic disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ED visits five years after ACA Medicaid expansions,.
Health Aff 2023 Jan; 42(1):26-34. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00460..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Emergency Department, Hospitalization, Disparities, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Chang L, Rees CA, Michelson KA
Association of socioeconomic characteristics with where children receive emergency care.
This study’s objective was to characterize national associations of neighborhood income and insurance type for children with the characteristics of emergency departments (EDs) from which they receive care. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study of ED visits by children from 2014 to 2017 using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Emergency department characteristics were characterized by pediatric volume category. There was a total of 107.6 million ED visits from 2014 to 2017. Children outside of the wealthiest neighborhood income quartile had lower proportions of visits to high-volume pediatric EDs and greater proportions of visits to low-volume pediatric EDs than children in the wealthiest quartile. Publicly insured children were modestly more likely to visit higher-volume pediatric EDs than privately insurance and uninsured children. This association appears to be principally driven by urban-rural differences in access to pediatric emergency care.
AHRQ-funded; HS026503.
Citation: Chang L, Rees CA, Michelson KA .
Association of socioeconomic characteristics with where children receive emergency care.
Pediatr Emerg Care 2022 Jan;38(1):e264-e67. doi: 10.1097/pec.0000000000002244..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Health Insurance, Uninsured, Low-Income
Zachrison KS, Boggs KM, Gao j
Patient insurance status is associated with care received after transfer among pediatric patients in the emergency department.
The objective of this study was to determine whether frequency of interfacility transfer varied by insurance status among pediatric emergency department (ED) patients. Secondarily, the investigators tested for an association between insurance status and odds of transfer with discharge from the second ED without observation or admission. The investigators concluded that among ED-to-ED transfers, pediatric patients with public or without insurance were more often kept for observation or admission at the second hospital after transfer.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation: Zachrison KS, Boggs KM, Gao j .
Patient insurance status is associated with care received after transfer among pediatric patients in the emergency department.
Acad Pediatr 2021 Jul;21(5):877-84. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2020.11.010..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Health Insurance, Emergency Department
Melnikow J, Evans E, Xing G
Primary care access to new patient appointments for California Medicaid enrollees: a simulated patient study.
Investigators evaluated variation in the availability of primary care new patient appointments for Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) enrollees in Northern California and its relationship to emergency department (ED) use after Medicaid expansion. Data from the California Health Interview Survey, Medi-Cal enrollment reports, and California hospital discharge records were used. The investigators found that access to primary care in Northern California was limited for new patient Medi-Cal enrollees and varied across counties, despite standard statewide reimbursement rates. Further, counties with more limited access to primary care new patient appointments had higher ED use by Medi-Cal enrollees.
AHRQ-funded; HS022236.
Citation: Melnikow J, Evans E, Xing G .
Primary care access to new patient appointments for California Medicaid enrollees: a simulated patient study.
Ann Fam Med 2020 May;18(3):210-17. doi: 10.1370/afm.2502..
Keywords: Primary Care, Access to Care, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization
Sun EC, Mello MM, Moshfegh J
Assessment of out-of-network billing for privately insured patients receiving care in in-network hospitals.
This retrospective analysis used data from the Clinformatics Data Mart database (Optum) to examine out-of-network billing among privately insured patients with an inpatient admission or emergency department (ED) visit at in-network hospitals. The investigators found that out-of-network billing appeared to have become common for privately insured patients even when they soughttreatment at in-network hospitals. They indicated that the mean amounts billed appeared to be sufficiently large that they may create financial strain for a substantial proportion of patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS026128.
Citation: Sun EC, Mello MM, Moshfegh J .
Assessment of out-of-network billing for privately insured patients receiving care in in-network hospitals.
JAMA Intern Med 2019 Nov;179(11):1453-612. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.3451..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Payment, Hospitals, Emergency Department
Lines LM, Li NC, Mick EO
Emergency department and primary care use in Massachusetts 5 years after health reform.
The goal of this study was to identify characteristics of insured Massachusetts residents associated with primary care sensitive (PCS) emergency department (ED) use, and compare such use for public versus private insurees. The researchers used data on people under age 65 taken from the Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Data for 2011-2012. Their conclusions indicate that public insurance was associated with less access to primary care and more PCS ED use; statewide labor shortages and low reimbursement rates from public insurance may have provided inadequate access to care that might otherwise have helped reduce PCS ED use.
AHRQ-funded; HS022194.
Citation: Lines LM, Li NC, Mick EO .
Emergency department and primary care use in Massachusetts 5 years after health reform.
Med Care 2019 Feb;57(2):101-08. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001025..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Health Insurance, Policy, Primary Care
Nuckols TK, Fingar KR, Barrett ML
AHRQ Author: Steiner CA, Stocks C, Owens PL
Returns to emergency department, observation, or inpatient care within 30 days after hospitalization in 4 states, 2009 and 2010 versus 2013 and 2014.
This study described trends in rates of 30-day, all-cause, unplanned returns to the hospital, including returns for observation stays and ED visits. Increases in observation and ED visits coincided with declines in readmissions for private insurance and Medicare. Return rates rose among patients with Medicaid and the uninsured.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Nuckols TK, Fingar KR, Barrett ML .
Returns to emergency department, observation, or inpatient care within 30 days after hospitalization in 4 states, 2009 and 2010 versus 2013 and 2014.
J Hosp Med 2018 May;13(5):296-303. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2883.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Health Insurance, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Hospital Readmissions
Kirby JB, Cohen JW
AHRQ Author: Kirby JB, Cohen JW
Do people with health insurance coverage who live in areas with high uninsurance rates pay more for emergency department visits?
This study investigated the relationship between the percent uninsured in a county and expenditures associated with the typical emergency department visit. Among those with private insurance, it found that an increase of 1 percentage point in the county uninsurance rate is associated with a $20 increase in the mean emergency department payment. No such association was observed among visits covered by other insurance types.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Kirby JB, Cohen JW .
Do people with health insurance coverage who live in areas with high uninsurance rates pay more for emergency department visits?
Health Serv Res 2018 Apr;53(2):768-86. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12659.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Uninsured
Akosa Antwi Y, Moriya AS, Simon K
AHRQ Author: Moriya AS
Changes in emergency department use among young adults after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage provision.
This study examined the effects of the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of family insurance coverage to include dependents up to the age of 26 on the use of the emergency department by 19 to 25 year young adults. It found a modest but statistically significant decrease in ED use related to weekday visits, nonurgent conditions and conditions treatable in other settings.
AHRQ Author
Citation: Akosa Antwi Y, Moriya AS, Simon K .
Changes in emergency department use among young adults after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage provision.
Ann Emerg Med. 2015 Jun;65(6):664-672.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2015.01.010..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Emergency Department, Health Insurance
Akosa Antwi Y, Moriya AS, Simon K
AHRQ Author: Moriya AS
Changes in emergency department use among young adults after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage provision.
The researchers evaluated the effect of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act insurance expansion on ED use among young adults. They found a modest decrease in ED use of young adults aged 19 to 25 years compared with those aged 27 to 29 years, particularly for less urgent conditions.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Akosa Antwi Y, Moriya AS, Simon K .
Changes in emergency department use among young adults after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage provision.
Ann Emerg Med 2015 Jun;65(6):664-72.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2015.01.010..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health Insurance
Lee J, Ding R, Zeger SL
Impact of subsidized health insurance coverage on emergency department utilization by low-income adults in Massachusetts.
The authors aimed to estimate the change in emergency department (ED) utilization per individual among a cohort who qualified for subsidized health insurance following the Massachusetts health care reform. They concluded that expanding subsidized health insurance did not uniformly change ED utilization for all newly insured low-income adults in Massachusetts.
AHRQ-funded; HS017957.
Citation: Lee J, Ding R, Zeger SL .
Impact of subsidized health insurance coverage on emergency department utilization by low-income adults in Massachusetts.
Med Care 2015 Jan;53(1):38-44. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000279.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization, Health Insurance, Policy, Low-Income
Hernandez-Boussard T, Burns CS, Wang NE
The Affordable Care Act reduces emergency department use by young adults: evidence from three States.
The authors tested the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on how young adults used ED services. They found that the largest relative decreases were found in women and blacks. This relative decrease in ED use implies a total reduction of more than 60,000 visits from young adults across three states in 2011.
AHRQ-funded; HS018558.
Citation: Hernandez-Boussard T, Burns CS, Wang NE .
The Affordable Care Act reduces emergency department use by young adults: evidence from three States.
Health Aff 2014 Sep;33(9):1648-54. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0103.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Health Insurance, Policy, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Young Adults
Chambers C, Chiu S, Katic M
High utilizers of emergency health services in a population-based cohort of homeless adults.
This study identified predictors of frequent emergency department (ED) use among a population-based sample of homeless adults in Toronto, Ontario. It found that among homeless adults with universal health insurance, a small subgroup accounted for the majority of visits to emergency services. Frequent use was driven by multiple predisposing, enabling, and need factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS014129.
Citation: Chambers C, Chiu S, Katic M .
High utilizers of emergency health services in a population-based cohort of homeless adults.
Am J Public Health 2013 Dec;103 Suppl 2:S302-10. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2013.301397..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Social Determinants of Health, Health Insurance, Healthcare Utilization
Pines JM, Mutter RL, Zocchi MS
AHRQ Author: Mutter RL
Variation in emergency department admission rates across the United States.
The authors investigated factors related to variation in hospital-level emergency department (ED) admission rates. Using HCUP data, they found that higher proportions of Medicare and uninsured patients, more inpatient beds, lower ED volumes, for-profit ownership, trauma center status, and higher hospital occupancy rates were associated with higher ED admission rates.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Pines JM, Mutter RL, Zocchi MS .
Variation in emergency department admission rates across the United States.
Med Care Res Rev 2013 Apr;70(2):218-31. doi: 10.1177/1077558712470565.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health Insurance, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization