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 (32)
- Adverse Events (1)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Behavioral Health (2)
- Brain Injury (1)
- Cancer (3)
- Cancer: Cervical Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (2)
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (3)
- Children/Adolescents (6)
- Community-Based Practice (5)
- Community Partnerships (1)
- COVID-19 (2)
- Decision Making (1)
- Digestive Disease and Health (1)
- Disparities (8)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- Elderly (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (2)
- Emergency Department (2)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Family Health and History (1)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (5)
- Healthcare Costs (10)
- Healthcare Delivery (3)
- Healthcare Utilization (11)
- Health Insurance (56)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (1)
- Health Status (1)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospitals (7)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (2)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Low-Income (16)
- Maternal Care (1)
- Medicaid (35)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (13)
- Medicare (4)
- Medication (2)
- Mortality (1)
- Newborns/Infants (1)
- Outcomes (2)
- Patient Safety (1)
- Payment (1)
- Policy (35)
- Prevention (4)
- Primary Care (4)
- Quality of Care (5)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (7)
- Risk (1)
- Sexual Health (1)
- Social Determinants of Health (2)
- Stroke (1)
- Surgery (2)
- Trauma (1)
- Treatments (1)
- (-) Uninsured (80)
- Vulnerable Populations (9)
- Web-Based (1)
- Women (3)
- 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
51 to 75 of 80 Research Studies DisplayedBarnett ML, Linder JA, Clark CR
Low-value medical services in the safety-net population.
The objective of this study was to measure rates of low-value care and high-value care received by patients without insurance or with Medicaid, compared with privately insured patients, and provided by safety-net physicians vs non-safety-net physicians. The study concluded that rates of low-value and high-value care were similar among physicians serving vulnerable patients and other physicians. Overuse of low-value care is a potentially important focus for state Medicaid programs and safety-net institutions to pursue cost savings and improved quality of health care delivery.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Barnett ML, Linder JA, Clark CR .
Low-value medical services in the safety-net population.
JAMA Intern Med 2017 Jun;177(6):829-37. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0401..
Keywords: Access to Care, Uninsured, Medicaid, Quality of Care
Sommers BD, Maylone B, Blendon RJ
Three-year impacts of the Affordable Care Act: improved medical care and health among low-income adults.
Using survey data collected from low-income adults through the end of 2016 in three states: Kentucky, which expanded Medicaid; Arkansas, which expanded private insurance to low-income adults using the federal Marketplace; and Texas, which did not expand coverage, researchers found that by the end of 2016 the uninsurance rate in the two expansion states had dropped by more than 20 percentage points relative to the nonexpansion state.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Sommers BD, Maylone B, Blendon RJ .
Three-year impacts of the Affordable Care Act: improved medical care and health among low-income adults.
Health Aff 2017 Jun;36(6):1119-28. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0293.
.
.
Keywords: Policy, Low-Income, Access to Care, Health Insurance, Uninsured
Decker SL, Lipton BJ, Sommers BD
AHRQ Author: Decker SL, Lipton BJ
Medicaid expansion coverage effects grew in 2015 with continued improvements in coverage quality.
The researchers used detailed federal survey data through 2015 to analyze recent changes in coverage for low-income adults after the expansion associated with the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) Medicaid expansion in 2014. They found that the uninsurance rate fell in both expansion and nonexpansion states but that it fell significantly more in expansion states.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Decker SL, Lipton BJ, Sommers BD .
Medicaid expansion coverage effects grew in 2015 with continued improvements in coverage quality.
Health Aff 2017 May;36(5):819-25. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1462.
.
.
Keywords: Medicaid, Low-Income, Health Insurance, Uninsured, Policy
Sohn H
Racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage: dynamics of gaining and losing coverage over the life-course.
This article describes age- and group-specific dynamics of insurance gain and loss that contribute to inequalities found in traditional cross-sectional studies. The authors assert that a formal decomposition on increment-decrement life-tables of insurance gain and loss shows that coverage disparities are predominately driven by minority groups' greater propensity to lose the insurance that they already have. They note that uninsured African Americans were faster to gain insurance than non-Hispanic whites but their high rates of insurance loss more than negated this advantage.
AHRQ-funded; HS000046.
Citation: Sohn H .
Racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage: dynamics of gaining and losing coverage over the life-course.
Popul Res Policy Rev 2017 Apr;36(2):181-201. doi: 10.1007/s11113-016-9416-y.
.
.
Keywords: Disparities, Health Insurance, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Uninsured
Cole MB, Galarraga O, Wilson IB
At federally funded health centers, Medicaid expansion was associated with improved quality of care.
In 2014 many uninsured, low-income nonelderly adults gained access to health insurance in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. The researchers used a difference-in-differences approach to compare changes among 1,057 such centers in expansion versus nonexpansion States. Medicaid expansion was associated with improved quality for asthma treatment, Pap testing, body mass index assessment, and hypertension control.
AHRQ-funded; HS024652.
Citation: Cole MB, Galarraga O, Wilson IB .
At federally funded health centers, Medicaid expansion was associated with improved quality of care.
Health Aff 2017 Jan;36(1):40-48. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0804.
.
.
Keywords: Quality of Care, Policy, Uninsured, Low-Income, Access to Care
Decker SL, Lipton BJ
AHRQ Author: Decker SL, Lipton BJ
Most newly insured people in 2014 were long-term uninsured.
This study found that in 2014-after the implementation of most of the Affordable Care Act provisions, including Medicaid expansions in some states and subsidies to purchase Marketplace coverage in all states-adults who had been uninsured for more than three years represented a larger share of the newly insured, compared to adults who had been insured for shorter periods of time.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Decker SL, Lipton BJ .
Most newly insured people in 2014 were long-term uninsured.
Health Aff 2017 Jan;36(1):16-20. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0984.
.
.
Keywords: Health Insurance, Uninsured, Medicaid, Policy
Furtado KS, Kaphingst KA, Perkins H
Health insurance information-seeking behaviors among the uninsured.
In order to better understand how to reach the uninsured and support their health insurance decision making, this study examined where the uninsured collect information about health insurance and the extent to which they trust those sources and media. Its findings suggest that strategies that pair health care professionals, lay health advisors, or community liaisons with the ubiquity of the Internet may be a strong approach for delivering quality health insurance information to the uninsured.
AHRQ-funded; HS020309.
Citation: Furtado KS, Kaphingst KA, Perkins H .
Health insurance information-seeking behaviors among the uninsured.
J Health Commun 2016;21(2):148-58. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2015.1039678.
.
.
Keywords: Uninsured, Health Insurance, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Web-Based
Harrison KL, Taylor HA
Healthcare resource allocation decisions affecting uninsured services.
The authors described resource allocation and policy decisions related to providing health services for the uninsured. They recommend that how healthcare decisions are actually made can be matched with literature that describes how healthcare resource decisions ought to be made, in order to provide a normative grounding for future decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Harrison KL, Taylor HA .
Healthcare resource allocation decisions affecting uninsured services.
J Health Organ Manag 2016 Nov 21;30(8):1162-82. doi: 10.1108/jhom-01-2016-0003.
.
.
Keywords: Decision Making, Health Services Research (HSR), Policy, Uninsured
Politi MC, Kaphingst KA, Liu JE
A randomized trial examining three strategies for supporting health insurance decisions among the uninsured.
This study examined the effectiveness of strategies to support health insurance decisions among the uninsured. Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 conditions: 1) a plain language table; 2) a visual condition where participants chose what information to view and in what order; and 3) a narrative condition. It found that participants across conditions made value-consistent choices, selecting plans that aligned with their preferences for key insurance features.
AHRQ-funded; HS020309.
Citation: Politi MC, Kaphingst KA, Liu JE .
A randomized trial examining three strategies for supporting health insurance decisions among the uninsured.
Med Decis Making. 2016 Oct;36(7):911-22. doi: 10.1177/0272989X15578635.
Keywords: Health Insurance, Uninsured
Vistnes JP, Cohen JW
AHRQ Author: Vistnes JP, Cohen JW
Gaining coverage in 2014: new estimates of marketplace and Medicaid transitions.
The researchers used data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component to examine coverage transitions for nonelderly US adults. They found that 71.5 percent of Marketplace enrollees in 2014 had some period of uninsurance before enrollment. In Medicaid expansion states, 17.4 percent of adults who were uninsured throughout 2013 gained Medicaid coverage in 2014, compared with only 5.6 percent in those states between 2012 and 2013.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Vistnes JP, Cohen JW .
Gaining coverage in 2014: new estimates of marketplace and Medicaid transitions.
Health Aff 2016 Oct 1;35(10):1825-29. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0500.
.
.
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Medicaid, Uninsured, Policy
Sommers BD, Gourevitch R, Maylone B
Insurance churning rates for low-income adults under health reform: lower than expected but still harmful for many.
The researchers explored the frequency and implications of changes in insurance coverage over time (i.e., "churning,")through surveying low-income adults in Kentucky, which used a traditional expansion of Medicaid; Arkansas, which chose a "private option" expansion that enrolled beneficiaries in private Marketplace plans; and Texas, which opted not to expand. They found that churning was associated with disruptions in physician care and medication adherence, and increased emergency department use.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Sommers BD, Gourevitch R, Maylone B .
Insurance churning rates for low-income adults under health reform: lower than expected but still harmful for many.
Health Aff 2016 Oct;35(10):1816-24. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0455.
.
.
Keywords: Medicaid, Uninsured, Policy, Health Insurance
Sommers BD, Chua KP, Kenney GM
California's early coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act: a county-level analysis.
The researchers assessed the coverage effects of California's 2011 Low-Income Health Program (LIHP), enacted as an "early expansion" under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and to demonstrate the feasibility of using Census data to measure county-level coverage changes. They concluded that California's 2011 expansion produced significant increases in public coverage for low-income individuals, particularly Latinos.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Sommers BD, Chua KP, Kenney GM .
California's early coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act: a county-level analysis.
Health Serv Res 2016 Jun;51(3):825-45. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12397.
.
.
Keywords: Medicaid, Uninsured, Policy, Health Insurance, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Raghavan R, Allaire BT, Brown DS
Medicaid disenrollment patterns among children coming into contact with child welfare agencies.
The authors examined retention of Medicaid coverage over time for children in the child welfare system. Using Medicaid claims files from 36 states, they found that half retained Medicaid coverage across 4 years of follow up, with most disenrollments happening in year 4. They recommend finding ways to promote entry of child welfare-involved children into health insurance coverage in order to assure services.
AHRQ-funded; HS020269.
Citation: Raghavan R, Allaire BT, Brown DS .
Medicaid disenrollment patterns among children coming into contact with child welfare agencies.
Matern Child Health J 2016 Jun;20(6):1280-7. doi: 10.1007/s10995-016-1929-9.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Family Health and History, Medicaid, Uninsured, Vulnerable Populations
DeVoe JE, Tillotson CJ, Marino M
Trends in type of health insurance coverage for US children and their parents, 1998-2011.
The objective of this paper is to examine trends in health insurance type among US children and their parents. Using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data (1998-2011), the authors found that low- and middle-income US families experienced a decrease in the percentage of child-parent pairs with private health insurance and pairs without insurance. At the same time, they found a rise in discordant coverage patterns - mainly publicly insured children with uninsured parents.
AHRQ-funded; HS018569.
Citation: DeVoe JE, Tillotson CJ, Marino M .
Trends in type of health insurance coverage for US children and their parents, 1998-2011.
Acad Pediatr 2016 Mar;16(2):192-9. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2015.06.009.
.
.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Uninsured
Hoopes MJ, Angier H, Gold R
Utilization of community health centers in Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states, 2013-2014.
Using electronic health record data, the researchers examined longitudinal changes in community health center (CHC) visit rates from 2013 through 2014 in Medicaid expansion versus nonexpansion states. Rates increased in expansion state CHCs for new patient, preventive, and limited-service visits (14 percent, 41percent, and 23 percent, respectively), whereas these rates remained unchanged in nonexpansion states.
AHRQ-funded; HS024270.
Citation: Hoopes MJ, Angier H, Gold R .
Utilization of community health centers in Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states, 2013-2014.
J Ambul Care Manage 2016 Jan 13;39(4):290-8. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000123.
.
.
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Community-Based Practice, Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Uninsured
Hellinger FJ
AHRQ Author: Hellinger FJ
In four ACA expansion states, the percentage of uninsured hospitalizations for people with HIV declined, 2012-14.
This study examines the influence of the Affordable Care Act's optional state Medicaid expansion on insurance coverage and health outcomes for hospitalized patients with HIV. It found that the percentage of hospitalizations of uninsured people with HIV in the four expansion states fell from 13.7 percent to 5.5 percent in the study period, while the percentage in the two nonexpanding states increased from 14.5 percent to 15.7 percent.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hellinger FJ .
In four ACA expansion states, the percentage of uninsured hospitalizations for people with HIV declined, 2012-14.
Health Aff 2015 Dec;34(12):2061-8. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0718..
Keywords: Policy, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Medicaid, Uninsured
Golberstein E, Gonzales G, Sommers BD
California's early ACA expansion increased coverage and reduced out-of-pocket spending for the state's low-income population.
The researchers used data from the National Health Interview Survey to examine the impact of California’s Low Income Health Program. Their study demonstrates that the county-by-county rollout of expanded public insurance coverage in California significantly increased coverage, by 7 percentage points, and significantly reduced the likelihood of any family out-of-pocket medical spending in the previous year, by 10 percentage points, among low-income adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Golberstein E, Gonzales G, Sommers BD .
California's early ACA expansion increased coverage and reduced out-of-pocket spending for the state's low-income population.
Health Aff 2015 Oct;34(10):1688-94. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0290..
Keywords: Low-Income, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Uninsured
Portela M, Sommers BD
On the outskirts of national health reform: a comparative assessment of health insurance and access to care in Puerto Rico and the United States.
This article presents an overview of Puerto Rico’s health care system and a comparative analysis of coverage and access to care in Puerto Rico and the mainland United States. It found that uninsured rates were significantly lower in Puerto Rico;. Medicaid was far more common in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican residents were more likely than those in the mainland United States to have a usual source of care and to have had a checkup within the past year.
AHRQ-funded; HS021291.
Citation: Portela M, Sommers BD .
On the outskirts of national health reform: a comparative assessment of health insurance and access to care in Puerto Rico and the United States.
Milbank Q 2015 Sep;93(3):584-608. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.12138..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Access to Care, Policy, Medicaid, Uninsured
DeVoe JE, Tillotson CJ, Angier H
Predictors of children's health insurance coverage discontinuity in 1998 versus 2009: parental coverage continuity plays a major role.
This study examines the strength of association between known and potential predictors of children’s health insurance continuity in both 1998 and 2009. It found that, compared to children with at least one parent continuously covered, children whose parents did not have continuous coverage had a significantly higher relative risk of a coverage gap.
AHRQ-funded; HS018569.
Citation: DeVoe JE, Tillotson CJ, Angier H .
Predictors of children's health insurance coverage discontinuity in 1998 versus 2009: parental coverage continuity plays a major role.
Matern Child Health J 2015 Apr;19(4):889-96. doi: 10.1007/s10995-014-1590-0.
.
.
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Uninsured, Health Insurance
Hill SC
AHRQ Author: Hill SC
Medicaid expansion in opt-out states would produce consumer savings and less financial burden than exchange coverage.
This study simulated potential differences in out-of-pocket spending for uninsured adults gaining eligibility for Marketplace coverage (silver plan) because their states have not used the provisions of the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid. Compared with having a Marketplace silver plan, being able to take advantage to expanded Medicaid would reduce average out-of-pocket spending by more than 50 percent for these adults and their families.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hill SC .
Medicaid expansion in opt-out states would produce consumer savings and less financial burden than exchange coverage.
Health Aff. 2015 Feb;34(2):340-9. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1058..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Policy, Low-Income, Medicaid, Uninsured
Angier H, Hoopes M, Gold R
An early look at rates of uninsured safety net clinic visits after the Affordable Care Act.
The researchers tested the hypothesis that rates of uninsured safety net clinic visits would significantly decrease in states that implemented Medicaid expansion, compared with states that did not. They found that, overall, clinics in the expansion states had a 40% decrease in the rate of uninsured visits in the postexpansion period and a 36% increase in the rate of Medicaid-covered visits, while clinics in the nonexpansion states had a significant 16% decline in the rate of uninsured visits but no change in the rate of Medicaid-covered visits. They concluded that their findings suggest that Affordable Care Act-related Medicaid expansions have successfully decreased the number of uninsured safety net patients in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522.
Citation: Angier H, Hoopes M, Gold R .
An early look at rates of uninsured safety net clinic visits after the Affordable Care Act.
Ann Fam Med 2015 Jan-Feb;13(1):10-6. doi: 10.1370/afm.1741.
.
.
Keywords: Uninsured, Community-Based Practice, Primary Care, Medicaid, Access to Care
Vargas Bustamante A, Chen J
The great recession and health spending among uninsured U.S. immigrants: implications for the Affordable Care Act implementation.
This study of the association between the timing of the Great Recession (GR) and health spending among uninsured U.S. immigrants found that the probability of any spending diminished for recent immigrants compared to citizens during the GR. For those with any spending, recent immigrants reported 27 percent higher spending during the GR.
AHRQ-funded; HS022634
Citation: Vargas Bustamante A, Chen J .
The great recession and health spending among uninsured U.S. immigrants: implications for the Affordable Care Act implementation.
Health Serv Res. 2014 Dec;49(6):1900-24. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12193..
Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Uninsured, Disparities
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.
.
.
Keywords: Health Insurance, Policy, Low-Income, Medicaid, Uninsured
Heintzman J, Marino M, Hoopes M
Using electronic health record data to evaluate preventive service utilization among uninsured safety net patients.
This study used EHR data to compare the preventive service utilization of uninsured patients receiving care at Oregon community health centers (CHCs) in 2008 through 2011 with that of continuously insured patients at the same CHCs in the same period. The results showed that CHCs provided many preventive services to uninsured patients, but that uninsured patients were less likely than continuously insured patients to receive 5 of 11 preventive services. The authors concluded that lack of insurance is a barrier to preventive service utilization, even in patients who can access care at a CHC.
AHRQ-funded; HS021522.
Citation: Heintzman J, Marino M, Hoopes M .
Using electronic health record data to evaluate preventive service utilization among uninsured safety net patients.
Prev Med 2014 Oct;67:306-10. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.08.006.
.
.
Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Healthcare Utilization, Prevention, Uninsured
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.
.
.
Keywords: Health Insurance, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Medicare, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Uninsured