National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Access to Care (1)
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- Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) (1)
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- Healthcare Costs (7)
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- Health Information Technology (HIT) (3)
- (-) Health Insurance (41)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Health Status (3)
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- Hospital Readmissions (1)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (1)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (1)
- Labor and Delivery (2)
- Lifestyle Changes (2)
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- Low-Income (5)
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- Patient Safety (1)
- Payment (2)
- Policy (5)
- Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) (1)
- Pregnancy (2)
- Prevention (2)
- Primary Care (4)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (3)
- Sickle Cell Disease (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (3)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Surgery (3)
- Tobacco Use (1)
- Treatments (1)
- Uninsured (5)
- Vaccination (1)
- Women (2)
- Young Adults (2)
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 41 Research Studies DisplayedMcGarry BE, Temkin-Greener H, Li Y
Role of race and ethnicity in private long-term care insurance ownership.
The authors sought to determine if racial/ethnic disparities exist in the ownership of private long-term care insurance (LTCI) among current Medicare beneficiaries. They found that 12.3% of Blacks and 5.8% of Hispanics, compared with 20.2% of Whites, reported having LTCI coverage and that Hispanics were 48% less likely to have LTCI compared with Whites. Hispanic women were 81% less likely to be insured compared with White women.
AHRQ-funded; HS000044.
Citation: McGarry BE, Temkin-Greener H, Li Y .
Role of race and ethnicity in private long-term care insurance ownership.
Gerontologist 2014 Dec;54(6):1001-12. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnt102.
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Keywords: Disparities, Elderly, Health Insurance, Long-Term Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Henke RM, Wier LM, Marder WD
AHRQ Author: Friedman BS, Wong HS
Geographic variation in cesarean delivery in the United States by payer.
This study aimed (1) to determine whether the geographic variation in cesarean delivery rate is consistent for private insurance and Medicaid, and (2) to identify the patient, population, and market factors associated with cesarean rate and determine if these factors vary by payer. It concluded that factors associated with geographic variation in cesarean delivery, a frequent and high-resource inpatient procedure, vary somewhat by payer.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290200600009C.
Citation: Henke RM, Wier LM, Marder WD .
Geographic variation in cesarean delivery in the United States by payer.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2014 Nov 19;14:387. doi: 10.1186/s12884-014-0387-x.
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Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Health Insurance, Labor and Delivery, Medicaid, Pregnancy
Sumner W, Stwalley DL, Asaro PV
Adding flexible temporal constraints to identify chronic comorbid conditions in ambulatory claims data.
The researchers particularly wanted to increase the temporal flexibility of comorbidity definitions in response to common documentation patterns. They report the development and testing of a chronic disease list with temporal criteria for analyzing outpatient claims data. They concluded that temporal constraints applied to ambulatory claims may improve comorbid condition categorization.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Sumner W, Stwalley DL, Asaro PV .
Adding flexible temporal constraints to identify chronic comorbid conditions in ambulatory claims data.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2014 Nov 14;2014:1088-97..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Data, Health Insurance
Fiscella K, Geiger HJ
Caring for the poor in the 21st century: enabling community health centers for a new era.
This article discusses various challenges facing community health centers (CHCs) in the 21st century. These include: potential erosion of the Medicaid prospective payment system, the failure of many States to expand Medicaid, the growth of accountable care organizations, the growth of high deductible health insurance for the privately insured, and increased competition for primary care clinicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS022440
Citation: Fiscella K, Geiger HJ .
Caring for the poor in the 21st century: enabling community health centers for a new era.
J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2014 Nov;25(4):2044-52. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2014.0182..
Keywords: Low-Income, Primary Care, Medicaid, Health Insurance
DeVoe JE, Angier H, Burdick T
Health information technology: an untapped resource to help keep patients insured.
This commentary provides guiding principles for HIT infrastructure development to support health insurance enrollment and re-enrollment. It also describes how HIT and health information exchange could be used to organize and communicated this information to patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS018569
Citation: DeVoe JE, Angier H, Burdick T .
Health information technology: an untapped resource to help keep patients insured.
Ann Fam Med. 2014 Nov-Dec;12(6):568-72. doi: 10.1370/afm.1721..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Insurance, Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care
Epstein AM, Sommers BD, Kuznetsov Y
Low-income residents in three states view Medicaid as equal to or better than private coverage, support expansion.
The authors explored what low-income Americans think about Medicaid. They found that nearly 80 percent of their telephone survey sample favored Medicaid expansion, and approximately two-thirds of uninsured respondents said that they planned to apply for either Medicaid or subsidized private coverage in 2014. Most viewed having Medicaid as better than being uninsured and at least as good as private insurance in overall quality and affordability.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Epstein AM, Sommers BD, Kuznetsov Y .
Low-income residents in three states view Medicaid as equal to or better than private coverage, support expansion.
Health Aff 2014 Nov;33(11):2041-7. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0747.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Policy, Low-Income, Medicaid, Uninsured
Trish E, Joyce G, Goldman DP
Specialty drug spending trends among Medicare and Medicare Advantage enrollees, 2007-11.
The authors analyzed trends in specialty drug spending among Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older using 2007-11 pharmacy claims data. They found that annual specialty drug spending per beneficiary who used specialty drugs increased considerably during the study period, but specialty drugs accounted for less than ten percent of total drug spending per beneficiary. Additionally, in 2011, cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act significantly reduced specialty drug users' out-of-pocket burden, which decreased 26 percent from 2010.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Trish E, Joyce G, Goldman DP .
Specialty drug spending trends among Medicare and Medicare Advantage enrollees, 2007-11.
Health Aff 2014 Nov;33(11):2018-24. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0538.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medicare, Medication
Dublin S, Johnson KE, Walker RL
Trends in elective labor induction for six United States health plans, 2001-2007.
The authors sought to describe trends in labor induction, including elective induction, from 2001 to 2007 for six U.S. health plans and to examine the validity of induction measures derived from birth certificate and health plan data. They found that induction prevalence rose from 28% in 2001 to 32% in 2005, then declined to 29% in 2007, with the trend being similar for subgroups by parity and gestational age. Elective induction prevalence varied considerably across plans.
AHRQ-funded; HS016955.
Citation: Dublin S, Johnson KE, Walker RL .
Trends in elective labor induction for six United States health plans, 2001-2007.
J Womens Health 2014 Nov;23(11):904-11. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2014.4779.
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Keywords: Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs), Health Insurance, Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Women
Angier H, Likumahuwa S, Finnegan S
Using geographic information systems (GIS) to identify communities in need of health insurance outreach: an OCHIN practice-based research network (PBRN) report.
The researchers sought an understandable way to use electronic health record (EHR) data to locate uninsured patients. Through the use of maps, they found geographic variation in insurance rates of patients seeking care in OCHIN PBRN clinics, with insurance rates varying by age. They then identified appropriate OCHIN PBRN clinics for dissemination of an EHR-based insurance outreach intervention.
AHRQ-funded; HS018569.
Citation: Angier H, Likumahuwa S, Finnegan S .
Using geographic information systems (GIS) to identify communities in need of health insurance outreach: an OCHIN practice-based research network (PBRN) report.
J Am Board Fam Med 2014 Nov-Dec;27(6):804-10. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2014.06.140029.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Richards MR, Marti J
Heterogeneity in the smoking response to health shocks by out-of-pocket spending risk.
Using longitudinal data from 11 European countries, the researchers investigated the impact of a new cardiovascular (CV) health shock on smoking decisions among older adults and examine whether personal exposure to medical spending risk influences the smoking response. They found that CV shocks impact the propensity to smoke, with relatively more impact among individuals with high financial risk exposure to medical spending.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589.
Citation: Richards MR, Marti J .
Heterogeneity in the smoking response to health shocks by out-of-pocket spending risk.
Health Econ Policy Law 2014 Oct;9(4):343-57. doi: 10.1017/s1744133114000152..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Tobacco Use, Lifestyle Changes, Health Insurance, Social Determinants of Health
Starner CI, Alexander GC, Bowen K
Specialty drug coupons lower out-of-pocket costs and may improve adherence at the risk of increasing premiums.
The investigators examined insurers' role in maintaining the affordability and accessibility of specialty drugs while maximizing their value. They found that drug coupons accounted for $21.2 million of patients' $35.3 million annual out-of-pocket costs. In the vast majority of cases, coupons reduced monthly cost sharing to less than $250, a point at which patients were far less likely to abandon therapy with biologic anti-inflammatory drugs or with drugs for multiple sclerosis. They highlighted that, by reducing cost sharing, coupons may also circumvent efforts to encourage patients to use the most cost-effective drugs.
AHRQ-funded; HS018960.
Citation: Starner CI, Alexander GC, Bowen K .
Specialty drug coupons lower out-of-pocket costs and may improve adherence at the risk of increasing premiums.
Health Aff 2014 Oct;33(10):1761-9. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0497.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medication, Patient Adherence/Compliance
Yehia BR, Fleishman JA, Agwu AL
AHRQ Author: Fleishman JA
Health insurance coverage for persons in HIV care, 2006-2012.
The authors examined trends in health insurance coverage at 11 US HIV clinics between 2006 and 2012. They found that Medicaid coverage was more prevalent among women than men; blacks and Hispanics than whites; and individuals with injection drug use risk compared with other transmission risk factors, with Hispanics and younger age groups more likely to be uninsured than other racial/ethnic and older age groups, respectively.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201100007C.
Citation: Yehia BR, Fleishman JA, Agwu AL .
Health insurance coverage for persons in HIV care, 2006-2012.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2014 Sep 1;67(1):102-6. doi: 10.1097/qai.0000000000000251.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Medicare, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Uninsured
Reeves S, Garcia E, Kleyn M
Identifying sickle cell disease cases using administrative claims.
The authors developed and tested the accuracy of administrative claims method for identifying children with sickle cell disease (SCD) to enable quality of care assessments among children enrolled in Medicaid. They found that their definition can be used to facilitate a more accurate identification of children with SCD in future studies.
AHRQ-funded; HS020516.
Citation: Reeves S, Garcia E, Kleyn M .
Identifying sickle cell disease cases using administrative claims.
Acad Pediatr 2014 Sep-Oct;14(5 Suppl):S61-7. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2014.02.008.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Insurance, Medicaid, Sickle Cell Disease
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.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Health Insurance, Policy, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Young Adults
Saloner B, Le Cook B
An ACA provision increased treatment for young adults with possible mental illnesses relative to comparison group.
The researchers examined the impact of the ACA dependent coverage provision on people ages 18-25 with possible mental health or substance use disorders. They found that after implementation of the ACA provision, among people ages 18-25 with possible mental health disorders, mental health treatment increased by 5.3 percentage points relative to a comparison group of similar people ages 26-35. For those using mental health treatment, uninsured visits declined by 12.4 percentage points, and visits paid by private insurance increased by 12.9 percentage points.
AHRQ-funded; HS021486.
Citation: Saloner B, Le Cook B .
An ACA provision increased treatment for young adults with possible mental illnesses relative to comparison group.
Health Aff 2014 Aug;33(8):1425-34. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0214.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Health Insurance, Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse, Young Adults
Ellimoottil C, Miller S, Ayanian JZ
Effect of insurance expansion on utilization of inpatient surgery.
The researchers examined the differential effect of the Massachusetts insurance expansion on the use of discretionary vs. nondiscretionary surgical procedures. They found that discretionary surgery increased 9.3 percent while nondiscretionary surgery decreased by 4.5 percent. The greatest increase in discretionary surgery was observed for nonwhite participants.
AHRQ-funded; HS018346.
Citation: Ellimoottil C, Miller S, Ayanian JZ .
Effect of insurance expansion on utilization of inpatient surgery.
JAMA Surg. 2014 Aug;149(8):829-36. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2014.857..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Surgery, Health Insurance, Healthcare Utilization
Henrikson NB, Anderson ML, Hubbard RA
Employee knowledge of value-based insurance design benefits.
The authors assessed knowledge of features of a value-based insurance design (VBD). They concluded that incomplete knowledge of benefits is prevalent in an employee population soon after VBD rollout.
AHRQ-funded; HS018913.
Citation: Henrikson NB, Anderson ML, Hubbard RA .
Employee knowledge of value-based insurance design benefits.
Am J Prev Med 2014 Aug;47(2):115-22. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.03.005.
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Keywords: Evidence-Based Practice, Healthcare Delivery, Health Insurance
Schiltz NK, Finkelstein Rosenthal B, Crowley MA
Rehospitalization during the first year of life by insurance status.
The authors assessed the association of insurance status on infant rehospitalization in a population-based setting. They found that Medicaid coverage and being uninsured were strong predictors of rehospitalizations, with Medicaid bearing a disproportionate share of the economic burden. Normal birth weight infants had the lowest risk. They further found that jaundice and acute bronchiolitis were the leading causes of rehospitalization within 30 days and 1 year, respectively.
AHRQ-funded; HS000059.
Citation: Schiltz NK, Finkelstein Rosenthal B, Crowley MA .
Rehospitalization during the first year of life by insurance status.
Clin Pediatr 2014 Aug;53(9):845-53. doi: 10.1177/0009922814536924.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospital Readmissions, Newborns/Infants, Medicaid, Newborns/Infants
Kronick R, Welch WP
AHRQ Author: Kronick R
Measuring coding intensity in the Medicare Advantage program.
Each year from 2004-2013, the average Medicare Advantage risk score increased faster than the average fee-for-service score. The intensity of coding varies widely by contract. The authors suggested that with the continuous relative increase in the average Medicare Advantage risk score, further policy changes will likely be necessary.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Kronick R, Welch WP .
Measuring coding intensity in the Medicare Advantage program.
Medicare Medicaid Res Rev 2014 Jul 17;4(2). doi: 10.5600/mmrr2014-004-02-a06.
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Keywords: Medicare, Health Insurance, Payment
Heintzman J, Bailey SR, Hoopes MJ
Agreement of Medicaid claims and electronic health records for assessing preventive care quality among adults.
The researchers sought to compare the agreement of electronic health records (EHR) data versus Medicaid claims data in documenting adult preventive care. For services performed in the primary care setting, EHR data compared favorably to Medicaid claims in documenting the percentage of patients with service receipt; services that were referred out were less frequently observed in the EHR.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522
Citation: Heintzman J, Bailey SR, Hoopes MJ .
Agreement of Medicaid claims and electronic health records for assessing preventive care quality among adults.
J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2014 Jul-Aug;21(4):720-4. doi: 10.1136/amiajnl-2013-002333..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Insurance, Medicaid, Prevention, Primary Care
Martin BI, Franklin GM, Deyo RA
How do coverage policies influence practice patterns, safety, and cost of initial lumbar fusion surgery? A population-based comparison of workers' compensation systems.
In response to increasing use of lumbar fusion for improving back pain, despite unclear efficacy, particularly among injured workers, this study compared the use of complex fusion techniques, adverse outcomes within 3 months, and costs for California and Washington State with workers’ compensation policies that differed in their coverage restrictions. The researchers found that California’s broader coverage policy was associated with more aggressive practice, higher rates of reoperation, readmission and other complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS018405
Citation: Martin BI, Franklin GM, Deyo RA .
How do coverage policies influence practice patterns, safety, and cost of initial lumbar fusion surgery? A population-based comparison of workers' compensation systems.
Spine J. 2014 Jul;14(7):1237-46. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.08..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Surgery, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization
McGuire TG, Newhouse JP, Normand SL
AHRQ Author: Zuvekas S
Assessing incentives for service-level selection in private health insurance exchanges.
The authors used MEPS data to measure plan incentives by constructing predictive ratios and by measuring incentives based on the predictability and predictiveness of various medical diagnoses. They found that, among the chronic diseases studied, plans have the greatest incentive to skimp on care for cancer, mental health, and substance abuse.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: McGuire TG, Newhouse JP, Normand SL .
Assessing incentives for service-level selection in private health insurance exchanges.
J Health Econ 2014 May;35:47-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.01.009.
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Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Health Insurance, Health Status, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Bernard DM, Johansson P, Fang Z
AHRQ Author: Bernard DM
Out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure burdens among nonelderly adults with hypertension.
The investigators examined the prevalence of high out-of-pocket burdens and self-perceived financial barriers to care among patients receiving hypertension treatment. They found that the prevalence of high total burdens was significantly greater for persons receiving treatment for hypertension compared with other chronically ill and well patients. Among hypertension patients with high total burdens, 15.7% said they were unable to get care and 13.6% said they delayed care due to financial reasons.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bernard DM, Johansson P, Fang Z .
Out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure burdens among nonelderly adults with hypertension.
Am J Manag Care 2014 May;20(5):406-13.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Blood Pressure, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance
Hill SC, Abdus S, Hudson JL
AHRQ Author: Hill SC, Hudson JL, Selden TM
Adults in the income range for the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion are healthier than pre-ACA enrollees.
The investigators used MEPS data to compare nondisabled adults enrolled in Medicaid prior to the ACA with two other groups: adults who were eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled in it, and adults who were in the income range for the ACA's Medicaid expansion and thus newly eligible for coverage. They found that both the newly eligible and those eligible before the ACA but not enrolled were healthier on several measures than pre-ACA enrollees. They concluded that by expanding Medicaid eligibility, states could provide coverage to millions of healthier adults as well as to millions who have chronic conditions and who need care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hill SC, Abdus S, Hudson JL .
Adults in the income range for the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion are healthier than pre-ACA enrollees.
Health Aff 2014 Apr;33(4):691-9. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0743.
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Keywords: Health Insurance, Policy, Health Status, Low-Income, Medicaid, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Lyon SM, Wunsch H, Asch DA
Use of intensive care services and associated hospital mortality after Massachusetts healthcare reform.
This study examined the impact of increased insurance coverage on intensive care unit (ICU) usage and mortality in Massachusetts where health insurance reform had expanded coverage. It found that reform was not associated with either significant changes in ICU use or changed hospital mortality for ICU patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS020672
Citation: Lyon SM, Wunsch H, Asch DA .
Use of intensive care services and associated hospital mortality after Massachusetts healthcare reform.
Crit Care Med. 2014 Apr;42(4):763-70. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000000044..
Keywords: Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Health Insurance, Healthcare Utilization, Mortality, Policy