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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 5 of 5 Research Studies DisplayedSood N, Yang Z, Huckfeldt P
Geographic variation in Medicare fee-for-service health care expenditures before and after the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
This cross-section study examined geographic variation in Medicare fee-for-service health care expenditures before and after the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The study included all fee-for-service Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older from 2007 to 2018 using data from the Medicare Geographic Variation Public Use File. Hospital referral regions (HRRs) were grouped in each year into deciles (10 equal groups) based on per-beneficiary total spending. Geographic variation was stable from 2007 to 2011 and declined steadily from 2012 through 2018. In specific spending categories, only home health had statistically significant reductions in geographic variation. The ratio of home health spending among HRRs in the top to bottom deciles of total Medicare spending fell from 5.14 in 2007 to 3.45 in 2018.
AHRQ-funded; HS025394.
Citation: Sood N, Yang Z, Huckfeldt P .
Geographic variation in Medicare fee-for-service health care expenditures before and after the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
JAMA Health Forum 2021 Dec;2(12):e214122. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.4122..
Keywords: Medicare, Policy, Healthcare Costs, Payment
Jacobs PD, Kronick R
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD
The effects of coding intensity in Medicare Advantage on plan benefits and finances.
The authors assessed how beneficiary premiums, expected out-of-pocket costs, and plan finances in the Medicare Advantage (MA) market are related to coding intensity. The study sample included beneficiaries enrolled in both MA and Part D from 2008-2015; Medicare claims and drug utilization data for Traditional Medicare beneficiaries were used to calibrate an independent measure of health risk. The authors found that, while coding intensity increased taxpayers' costs of the MA program, enrollees and plans both benefitted but with larger gains for plans. They concluded that the adoption of policies to adjust more completely for coding intensity would likely affect both beneficiaries and plan profits.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Jacobs PD, Kronick R .
The effects of coding intensity in Medicare Advantage on plan benefits and finances.
Health Serv Res 2021 Apr;56(2):178-87. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13591..
Keywords: Medicare, Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Policy
Chen G, Lewis VA, Gottlieb D
Estimating heterogeneous effects of a policy intervention across organizations when organization affiliation is missing for the control group: application to the evaluation of accountable care organizations.
This study looked at the effects of accountable care organizations (ACOs) on lowering health care costs and reducing the rate of hospital readmissions. The authors used Medicare fee-for-service claims data from 2009-2014 to estimate the heterogenous effects of Medicare ACO programs on hospital admissions across hospital referral regions and provider groups. The results suggested that the ACO programs reduced the rate of readmission to hospitals, and that the effect of joining an ACO varied considerably across medical groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Chen G, Lewis VA, Gottlieb D .
Estimating heterogeneous effects of a policy intervention across organizations when organization affiliation is missing for the control group: application to the evaluation of accountable care organizations.
Health Serv Outcomes Res Methodol 2021 Mar;21(1):54-68. doi: 10.1007/s10742-020-00230-8..
Keywords: Medicare, Policy, Healthcare Costs, Hospital Readmissions, Health Insurance
Modi PK, Kaufman SR, Caram ME
Medicare Accountable Care Organizations and the adoption of new surgical technology.
Dissemination of new surgical technology is a major contributor to healthcare spending growth. Accountable care organization (ACO) policy aims to control spending while maintaining quality. As a result, ACOs provide incentive for hospitals to selectively adopt newer procedures with high value. In this retrospective cohort study the investigators concluded that despite ACO policy incentives to selectively adopt newer surgical technology, ACO participation was not associated with differences in rate of surgery or use of newer surgical technology for 6 major surgical procedures.
AHRQ-funded; HS025707.
Citation: Modi PK, Kaufman SR, Caram ME .
Medicare Accountable Care Organizations and the adoption of new surgical technology.
J Am Coll Surg 2021 Feb;232(2):138-45.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.10.016..
Keywords: Medicare, Surgery, Policy, Healthcare Costs
Fung V, Price M, Hull P
Assessment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's increase in fees for primary care and access to care for dual-eligible beneficiaries.
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the Affordable Care Act (ACA) fee bump and primary care visits for dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Medicare claims data from 2012 to 2016 was used. Findings showed that the ACA fee bump was not associated with increases in primary care visits for dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Additionally, visits for dual-eligible beneficiaries with primary care physicians decreased after the ACA, a decrease that was partially offset by increases in visits with nonphysician clinicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS024725; HS025378.
Citation: Fung V, Price M, Hull P .
Assessment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's increase in fees for primary care and access to care for dual-eligible beneficiaries.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Jan;4(1):e2033424. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.33424..
Keywords: Access to Care, Medicaid, Medicare, Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Policy