Search all AHRQ sites
Menu
SHARE:
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: 
AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
Results
1 to 25 of 351 Research Studies Displayed
Friedman HR, Holmes GM
Rural Medicare beneficiaries are increasingly likely to be admitted to urban hospitals.
This study looked at trends in admission to urban hospitals by rural Medicare FFS beneficiaries from 2010 to 2018. The authors combined data from the 2010 to 2018 Hospital Service Area File (HSAF) and the 2010-2017 American Hospital Association (AHA) survey. They found that controlling for distance to the nearest hospitals, an increase of 1 year was associated with a 2.0% increase in the number of admissions to urban hospitals from each rural ZIP code. New system affiliation of the nearest rural hospital was associated with an increase of 1.7%.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation:
Friedman HR, Holmes GM .
Rural Medicare beneficiaries are increasingly likely to be admitted to urban hospitals.
Health Serv Res 2022 Oct;57(5):1029-34. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14017..
Keywords:
Medicare, Rural Health, Hospitals, Access to Care
Eliason EL, A Spishak-Thomas, Steenland MW
Association of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions with postpartum contraceptive use and early postpartum pregnancy.
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion with postpartum contraception use and pregnancy. The researchers found that Medicaid expansion was associated with a 7.0 percentage point increase in postpartum use of the contraceptive implant and intrauterine device LARC, a 3.1 percentage point decrease in short-acting contraception, and a 3.9 percentage point decrease in non-prescription contraceptive use overall. Increases in LARC use were concentrated among non-Hispanic, White, and Black respondents. Medicaid expansion was associated with a decrease in early postpartum pregnancy only among non-Hispanic Black respondents. The researchers concluded that the ACA Medicaid expansion improved postpartum contraceptive access and led to shifts from methods with a lower upfront out-of-pocket cost for people without insurance towards methods with the higher upfront out-of-pocket cost for people without insurance. These changes suggest that Medicaid expansions increased access to the full range of contraceptive methods.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464; HS000011
Citation:
Eliason EL, A Spishak-Thomas, Steenland MW .
Association of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions with postpartum contraceptive use and early postpartum pregnancy.
Contraception 2022 Sep;113:42-48. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2022.02.012..
Keywords:
Sexual Health, Pregnancy, Maternal Care, Women, Medicaid, Access to Care, Policy
Griffith KN, Asfaw DA, Childers RG
Changes in US veterans' access to specialty care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This research letter examined changes in US veterans’ access to specialty care during the COVID-19 pandemic through October 2021. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) completed 14,516,937 internal referrals and purchased an additional 9,904,132 referrals to community-based specialists during the study period. Before the pandemic VHA specialists completed a mean 452,148 referrals each month. Volume dropped starting in March 2020 and did not fully until recover until March 2021. Peak decline was in April 2020 by 70.7% to 132,481 referrals. Community care referrals declined by 32.9% in June 2020, but rebounded thereafter and exceeded the prepandemic baseline by March 2021. Waits for VHA specialists began rising in June 2020, peaked in July 2020 and returned to prepandemic levels by spring 2021. Mean waits for community specialists peaked in June 2020 and returned to prepandemic baseline levels by August 2020.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation:
Griffith KN, Asfaw DA, Childers RG .
Changes in US veterans' access to specialty care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Sep;5(9):e2232515. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.32515..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Veterans, Access to Care
Kirby JB, Nogueira L, Zhao J
Do disruptions in health insurance continue to affect access to care even after coverage is regained?
Researchers investigated the association between having a usual source of care provider (USCP) and past disruptions in insurance coverage among insured adults using a longitudinal, nationally representative sample. Using MEPS data, they found that, compared to people who were continuously insured, those with previous insurance coverage disruptions, even short ones, were less likely to have a USCP.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Kirby JB, Nogueira L, Zhao J .
Do disruptions in health insurance continue to affect access to care even after coverage is regained?
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Aug;37(10):2579-81. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07187-5..
Keywords:
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Access to Care
Feyman Y, Asfaw DA, Griffith KN
Geographic variation in appointment wait times for US military veterans.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine geographic variation in wait times experienced by veterans for primary care, mental health, and other specialties since the passage of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act in 2014 and the VA MISSION (Maintaining Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks) Act in 2018. These acts allowed veterans to have access to community-based care centers. Data analysis was performed using data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Corporate Data Warehouse. Participants include a final sample of 22,632,918 million appointments for 4,846,892 unique veterans who sought medical care from January 1, 2018, to June 30, 2021. The main outcomes were total appointment wait times in days for the categories of primary care, mental health, and all other specialties. VHA medical centers are organized into regions called Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISNs); wait times were aggregated to the VISN level. The study found that Among non-VHA appointments, mean VISN-level appointment wait times were 38.9 days for primary care, 43.9 days for mental health, and 41.9 days for all other specialties. Among VHA appointments, mean VISN-level appointment wait times were 29.0 days for primary care, 33.6 days for mental health, and 35.4 days for all other specialties. There was substantial geographic variation in appointment wait times. The researchers concluded that VHA wait times in a majority of VISNs were lower than those for community-based clinicians.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation:
Feyman Y, Asfaw DA, Griffith KN .
Geographic variation in appointment wait times for US military veterans.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Aug;5(8):e2228783. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.28783..
Keywords:
Veterans, Access to Care
Auty SG, Griffith KN
Medicaid expansion increased appointment wait times in Maine and Virginia.
The purpose of this study was to explore whether a sudden influx of Medicaid enrollees from the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion increased wait times for primary and specialty care in community care (CC) and the Veteran’s Hospital Administration (VHA) in two states (Maine and Virginia.) The researchers examined data on wait times for new patients seeking specialty
and primary care from VHA and community providers during 2015–2019. There were no statistically significant differences in pre-trends in wait times in the years prior to Medicaid expansion in Maine and Virginia for VHA and CC appointments. After Medicaid expansion in 2019, Maine and Virginia experienced adjusted increases in CC wait times for both primary (9.5 days) and specialty (10.0 days) care. Non-expansion states experienced lesser increases in CC wait times for primary (4.5 days) and specialty (3.7 days). Conversely, adjusted VHA wait times for primary (−3.1 days) and specialty (−1.1 days) care decreased in Maine and Virginia, but did not change significantly in nonexpansion states. The researchers concluded that improved access to care without corresponding changes in the supply of medical professionals may lead to increased wait times, as evidenced by increased private-sector wait times for specialty care in Maine and Virginia after Medicaid expansion.
and primary care from VHA and community providers during 2015–2019. There were no statistically significant differences in pre-trends in wait times in the years prior to Medicaid expansion in Maine and Virginia for VHA and CC appointments. After Medicaid expansion in 2019, Maine and Virginia experienced adjusted increases in CC wait times for both primary (9.5 days) and specialty (10.0 days) care. Non-expansion states experienced lesser increases in CC wait times for primary (4.5 days) and specialty (3.7 days). Conversely, adjusted VHA wait times for primary (−3.1 days) and specialty (−1.1 days) care decreased in Maine and Virginia, but did not change significantly in nonexpansion states. The researchers concluded that improved access to care without corresponding changes in the supply of medical professionals may lead to increased wait times, as evidenced by increased private-sector wait times for specialty care in Maine and Virginia after Medicaid expansion.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation:
Auty SG, Griffith KN .
Medicaid expansion increased appointment wait times in Maine and Virginia.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Aug;37(10):2594-96. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07086-9..
Keywords:
Medicaid, Access to Care
Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of this study was to explore the author’s previous research findings on trends in pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for mental health (MH) vs non-mental health in light of more recent related data corresponding with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that recent research supports the dramatic increase in pediatric MH ED visits found in the author’s previous research and provides additional evidence that the increase has been driven by specific MH diagnoses. The researchers conclude that depressive disorders, self-harm behavior, and non-alcohol substance use disorders should be prioritized for the development of ED- and hospital-based strategies, and that EDs, hospitals, health systems, and the government urgently need to increase capacity for MH services and identify innovative solutions to improve access to high quality MH care for children.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation:
Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK .
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Aug;22(6):889-91. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.03.015..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Behavioral Health, Emergency Department, Access to Care, Public Health, Inpatient Care
Reeves SL, Patel PN, Madden B
Telehealth use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among children with sickle cell anemia.
This study’s goal was to determine telehealth use before and during the COVID pandemic for children ages 1-17 years old with sickle cell anemia (SCA). The authors identified children with SCA continuously enrolled in Michigan Medicaid from January 2019 to December 2020. The study population consisted of 493 children with SCA with a mean age of 8.7 years at study entry. Pre-pandemic there were 4,367 outpatient visits, with all but 19 in-person. Telehealth visits peaked in April 2020 and then began declining. The majority of telehealth visits were with hematologists, followed up adult subspecialists (27%) and pediatrics/family medicine.
AHRQ-funded; HS027632.
Citation:
Reeves SL, Patel PN, Madden B .
Telehealth use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among children with sickle cell anemia.
Telemed J E Health 2022 Aug;28(8):1166-71. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2021.0132..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Sickle Cell Disease, Chronic Conditions, Access to Care
Koball H, Kirby J, Hartig S
The relationship between states' immigrant-related policies and access to health care among children of immigrants.
The purpose of this AHRQ-authored paper was to explore immigrants’ children’s access to preventive healthcare, and the impact of sanctuary policies (state policies that limit federal immigration enforcement involvement) and the provision of driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants on that access. Primary outcomes included whether the child had a well child check-up, unmet medical needs, or a regular source for care. The 2008-2016 Medical Panel Expenditure Survey (MPES) merged with policy data at the state level were analyzed, with the researchers reporting that sanctuary policies and having a state driver’s license were both associated with having a regular source for care and less unmet medical needs among the children of immigrants. The researchers emphasized the importance of access to preventive care and concluded that sanctuary policies are related to increased access to preventive health care among the children of immigrants.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Koball H, Kirby J, Hartig S .
The relationship between states' immigrant-related policies and access to health care among children of immigrants.
J Immigr Minor Health 2022 Aug;24(4):834-41. doi: 10.1007/s10903-021-01282-9..
Keywords:
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children/Adolescents, Policy, Access to Care
Newton H, Beetham T, Busch SH
Association of access to crisis intervention teams with county sociodemographic characteristics and state Medicaid policies and Its implications for a new mental health crisis lifeline.
This study’s objective was to assess county-level access to crisis intervention teams (CIS) for acute mental health issues in 2015 and 2020 and its association with area characteristics and state policies in 2020. This cross-sectional study included 10,430 facilities from the 2015 National Directory of Mental Health Treatment Facilities and 10,591 facilities from the 2020 National Directory of Mental Health Treatment Facilities, from 3142 US counties. Area measures included suicide, drug-related overdose mortality, rurality, and demographic characteristics. State-level policies included enactment of 5 Medicaid policies prior to 2020 and 2 recent policies intended to assist implementation of the 988 telephone lifeline. Most US residents (88%) lived in a county that had at least 1 facility offering CIT, although half of all US counties had no CIT facility. Counties without vs those with CIT access were less likely to be in states that expanded Medicare and in states that allow Medicaid to pay for short-term stays in psychiatric hospitals. Residents of counties without CIT access were more likely to be older (>55 years) and uninsured and were more likely to be rural.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589.
Citation:
Newton H, Beetham T, Busch SH .
Association of access to crisis intervention teams with county sociodemographic characteristics and state Medicaid policies and Its implications for a new mental health crisis lifeline.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jul;5(7):e2224803. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24803..
Keywords:
Medicaid, Behavioral Health, Access to Care, Policy
Fleming MD, Evans JL, Graham-Squire D
Association of shelter-in-place hotels with health services use among people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some jurisdictions utilized shelter-in-place (SIP) hotels to provide emergency shelter and support services to people experiencing homelessness (PEH) to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of SIP hotel placements with prior high acute health service use and compare health services use between PEH with prior high service use who did and did not receive a SIP hotel placement. The researchers assessed 25 SIP hotels in San Francisco, California from April 2020 to April 2021 and analyzed data from February 2021 to May 2022. Study participants included PEH who were among the top 10% high users of acute medical, mental health, and substance use services and who had 3 or more emergency department (ED) visits in the 9 months before the implementation of the SIP hotel program. The study reported that the mean number of ED visits decreased significantly in the high-user SIP group compared with high-user controls. The mean number of hospitalizations decreased significantly from 0.41 to 0.14 for SIP guests vs 0.27 to 0.22 for controls. Inpatient hospital days decreased significantly from a mean of 4.00 to 0.81 for SIP guests vs 2.27 to 1.85 for controls as did psychiatric emergency visits, from a mean of 0.03 to 0.01 visits for SIP guests vs no change in the control group. The researchers concluded that placement of PEH in SIP hotels was correlated with significantly reduced acute care use when compared with high acute care users with no SIP placement.
AHRQ-funded; HS027648.
Citation:
Fleming MD, Evans JL, Graham-Squire D .
Association of shelter-in-place hotels with health services use among people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jul;5(7):e2223891. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.23891..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Access to Care, Healthcare Utilization, Public Health
Fung V, Yang Z, Cook BL
Changes in insurance coverage continuity after Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid eligibility for young adults with low income in Massachusetts.
The purpose of this cohort study was to describe changes in insurance coverage continuity for Medicaid enrollees who turned age 19 years before and after eligibility policy changes from the 2014 Medicaid expansion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Between November 1, 2020, and May 12, 2022 the researchers analyzed data from the Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database (2012 to 2016) to compare coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries turning age 19 years before and after Medicaid expansion. A total of 41,247 young adults turning age 18 to 19 years in the baseline year were included in the study. The researchers found that enrollees who turned age 19 after vs before the Medicaid eligibility expansion were less likely to have 3 or more uninsured months at18 to 19 years of age and 19 to 20 years of age and more likely to have continuous insurance coverage for 12 or more months. Differences in the likelihood of having 3 or more uninsured months decreased at 20 to 21 years of age, when both groups had access to Medicaid. The study concluded that among Medicaid enrollees entering adulthood, the expansion of Medicaid to lower-income adults through the 2014 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was associated with a decreased possibility of becoming uninsured.
AHRQ-funded; HS024725.
Citation:
Fung V, Yang Z, Cook BL .
Changes in insurance coverage continuity after Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid eligibility for young adults with low income in Massachusetts.
JAMA Health Forum 2022 Jul;3(7):e221996. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.1996..
Keywords:
Young Adults, Health Insurance, Policy, Medicaid, Access to Care, Low-Income
Wyse JJ, Mackey K, Lovejoy TI
Expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder through locally-initiated implementation.
The purpose of this study was to identify and describe locally- and internally-developed approaches to improve patient access to medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The researchers utilized the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations to examine the planning, design, and implementation of a locally-initiated process to expand access to MOUD. The study found that a self-appointed local team successfully developed and implemented a Primary Care-based Buprenorphine Clinic and E-Consult Service to expand access to MOUD to patients across the health care system, including national and local policy changes, identifying appropriate and widely supported models of care delivery and consultation, and increasing staff investment in the efforts by including them in collaborative planning and problem-solving. The study concluded that a local team can plan, develop and build new processes of care that are customized to meet local needs and contribute to long-term sustainability in the community.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation:
Wyse JJ, Mackey K, Lovejoy TI .
Expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder through locally-initiated implementation.
Addict Sci Clin Pract 2022 Jun 20;17(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s13722-022-00312-7..
Keywords:
Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Medication, Access to Care, Practice Patterns, Implementation
Levine DM, Chalasani R, Linder JA
Association of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with ambulatory quality, patient experience, utilization, and cost, 2014-2016.
The national impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be debated. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between the ACA and ambulatory quality, patient experience, utilization, and cost by comparing outcomes before (2011-2013) and after (2014-2016) ACA implementation. The study focused on United States adults between 18 and 64 years of age with income less than and greater than or equal to 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL), who had responded to the annual Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Researchers conducted analysis of data from a sample of 123,171 individuals between January 2021 and March 2022. The study found that after the implementation of ACA, adults with income levels less than 400% of the FPL received increased high value care such as diagnostic and preventive testing when compared with adults with income 400% or higher of the FPL, and there were no differences in the other quality measures. Individuals with income less than 400% of the FPL had greater improvements in access, experience, and communication measures compared with those who had income greater than or equal to 400% of the FPL. Receipt of primary care services increased for individuals with lower income compared to individuals with higher income and for those with lower income compared to those with higher income, total out-of-pocket expenditures decreased. There were no other differences in utilization or cost between those groups. The researchers concluded that in this study, the ACA was not associated with changes in utilization, quality, or cost, but was related to decreased out-of-pocket expenditures and improved patient access, communication, and experience.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I; HS026506; HS028127.
Citation:
Levine DM, Chalasani R, Linder JA .
Association of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with ambulatory quality, patient experience, utilization, and cost, 2014-2016.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jun 1;5(6):e2218167. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18167..
Keywords:
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Hegland TA, Berdahl TA
High job flexibility and paid sick leave increase health care access and use among us workers.
This AHRQ-authored study explored the impact of job flexibility on health care access and use, including access to paid sick leave. The authors analyzed data from a national representative sample in the MEPS-Household Component for 2017 to 2019, combined with occupational data from the Occupational Information Network database, version 25.0. A one-unit increase in job flexibility was associated with a 2.15 percentage point increase in the likelihood of having an office-based health care visit in the past year and 2.42 percentage increase in the likelihood of having a usual source of care. Access to paid sick leave was associated with a 3.8 percentage point increase in the likelihood of going to an office-based health care visit. Black and Hispanic workers, as well as low-wage workers have less job flexibility and less access to paid sick leave.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Hegland TA, Berdahl TA .
High job flexibility and paid sick leave increase health care access and use among us workers.
Health Aff 2022 Jun;41(6):873-82. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01876..
Keywords:
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Access to Care
Meiselbach MK, Drake C, Saloner B
Medicaid managed care: access to primary care providers who prescribe buprenorphine.
This study examined variation in access to in-network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers that can treat opioid use disorder among Medicaid managed care enrollees. Approximately 32.2% of Medicaid enrollees had fewer than one in-network network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers per 100,000 county residents. There was on average a greater number of in-network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers in states with higher compared with lower overdose death rates, but most enrollees lived in areas with a shortage of these providers. The authors found that a 25 percent higher network participation rate by prescribers compared with nonprescribers could improve the probability that enrollees see a prescriber by approximately 25 percent.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation:
Meiselbach MK, Drake C, Saloner B .
Medicaid managed care: access to primary care providers who prescribe buprenorphine.
Health Aff 2022 Jun;41(6):901-10. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01719..
Keywords:
Medicaid, Primary Care, Access to Care, Medication, Care Management, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health
Jacobs PD, Abdus S
Changes in preventive service use by race and ethnicity after Medicare eligibility in the United States.
Researchers examined whether widespread eligibility for Medicare at age 65 narrows disparate preventive service use by race and ethnicity. Using MEPS data and examining six preventive services, they found that, for non-Hispanic Black adults, preventive service use increased after age 65. Further, for all four preventive health measures that were lower for Hispanic adults compared with non-Hispanic White adults prior to age 65, service use was indistinguishable between these groups after reaching the Medicare eligibility age. They concluded that Medicare eligibility appeared to reduce most racial and ethnic disparities in preventive service use.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Jacobs PD, Abdus S .
Changes in preventive service use by race and ethnicity after Medicare eligibility in the United States.
Prev Med 2022 Apr;157:106996. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106996..
Keywords:
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Medicare, Prevention, Access to Care, Disparities, Health Insurance
Huang J, Graetz I, Millman A
Primary care telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: patient's choice of video versus telephone visit.
The goal of this study was to examine the association between patient characteristics and primary care telemedicine choice among integrated delivery system patients self-scheduling visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings showed that patients of Black or Hispanic race/ethnicity, or living in low socioeconomic status or low internet access neighborhoods were less likely to schedule video visits. Also, patients 65 years or older, with prior video visit experience or mobile portal access, or visiting their own personal provider were more likely to schedule video visits. While video adoption was substantial in all patient groups examined, differences in telemedicine choice suggested the persistence of a digital divide.
AHRQ-funded; HS025189.
Citation:
Huang J, Graetz I, Millman A .
Primary care telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: patient's choice of video versus telephone visit.
JAMIA Open 2022 Apr;5(1):ooac002. doi: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooac002..
Keywords:
COVID-19, Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Access to Care
Behr CL, Hull P, Hsu J
Geographic access to federally qualified health centers before and after the Affordable Care Act.
Funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) increased with the advent of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The purpose of this study was to define FQHC service areas based on patient use and examine the characteristics of areas that gained FQHC access post-ACA. The researchers first defined FQHC service areas using total patient counts by ZIP code from the Uniform Data System (UDS) and then compared that approach with other methods. The authors then compared the characteristics of ZIP codes from Medically Underserved Areas/ Populations (MUA/Ps) that gained access to FQHCs between 2011-2015, with MUA/P ZIP codes that did not gain access to FQHCs during that same time period. The study found that FQHC service areas based on the UDS data included a larger percentage of FQHC patients and a higher use of FQHCs among low-income residents, on average, than Primary Care Service Areas or counties. The researchers also discovered that MUA/Ps that gained access to an FQHC between 2011 and 2015 included more poor, publicly insured, uninsured, and foreign born residents than underserved areas that did not gain access. The study concluded that measures of actual patient use are a useful method of assessing FQHC service areas and access.
AHRQ-funded; HS025378.
Citation:
Behr CL, Hull P, Hsu J .
Geographic access to federally qualified health centers before and after the Affordable Care Act.
BMC Health Serv Res 2022 Mar 23;22(1):385. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-07685-0..
Keywords:
Access to Care, Uninsured, Safety Net, Vulnerable Populations
Kemme S, Yoeli D, Sundaram SS
Decreased access to pediatric liver transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of the study was to explore and understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nationwide pediatric liver transplants. The researchers compared data for transplant waiting list additions, removals, and liver transplants during pre-COVID-19 (March-November 2016-2019), early COVID-19 (March-May 2020), and late COVID-19 (June-November 2020). The study results showed a 38% decrease in liver transplantations during early COVID-19, recovering to pre-pandemic rates during late COVID-19. White children had a 30% decrease in overall liver transplantation, while non-White children had a 44% decrease in overall liver transplantation. Additions to the waiting list decreased 25% during COVID-19, with Black transplant candidates the most affected, and children spent longer on the waiting list during early COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 (140 vs. 96 days). The study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic decreased access to pediatric liver transplants, especially during early COVID-19. The researchers discussed that although the rate of pediatric liver transplants has resumed to pre-COVID-19 levels, racial disparities must be addressed.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation:
Kemme S, Yoeli D, Sundaram SS .
Decreased access to pediatric liver transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pediatr Transplant 2022 Mar;26(2):e14162. doi: 10.1111/petr.14162..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Transplantation, Access to Care, Disparities
Greenberg JK, Brown DS, Olsen MA
Association of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act with access to elective spine surgical care.
This study's goal was to evaluate the impact of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act on the volume and payer mix of elective spine surgery in the United States. The authors evaluated elective spinal surgeries performed in the U.S. from 2011 to 2016 and included 10 states with expanded Medicaid access and 4 states that did not. They identified 218,648 surgical procedures performed in 10 Medicaid expansion states and 118,693 procedures performed in 4 nonexpansion states. Medicaid expansion was associated with a 17% increase in mean hospital spine surgical volume and a 23% increase in Medicaid volume. Privately insured surgical volumes did not change significantly. This increase indicated improved access to care.
AHRQ-funded; HS027075.
Citation:
Greenberg JK, Brown DS, Olsen MA .
Association of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act with access to elective spine surgical care.
J Neurosurg Spine 2022 Feb;36(2):336–44. doi: 10.3171/2021.3.Spine2122..
Keywords:
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicaid, Access to Care, Surgery
KS Cash, RE Adeoye, O
Estimated population access to acute stroke and telestroke centers in the US, 2019.
In order to provide an update on population-level access to stroke care, the investigators estimated the proportion of the US population with access to an ED with acute stroke capabilities and assessed the specific contribution of telestroke services to US population access. They observed a substantial increase in population access to acute stroke care in this cross-sectional study relative to previous reports using alternative methods, likely due to the extensive and ongoing work to improve stroke systems of care, including greater stroke center accreditation and expansion of telestroke capacity.
AHRQ-funded; HS024561.
Citation:
KS Cash, RE Adeoye, O .
Estimated population access to acute stroke and telestroke centers in the US, 2019.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Feb;5(2):e2145824. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.45824..
Keywords:
Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Stroke, Cardiovascular Conditions, Critical Care, Access to Care
Porteny T, Ponce N, Sommers BD
Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act: changes in coverage and access to care by documentation status.
This study used data from the California Health Interview Survey (2003-2016) to compare changes in health coverage and access to care among immigrants in California before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The authors found that the ACA has led to major gains in coverage for lawful permanent residents in California, but unauthorized immigrants experienced only modest increases in coverage. This result widened the disparity in uninsured rates for unauthorized immigrants relative to citizens considerably since 2014.
AHRQ-funded; HS000055.
Citation:
Porteny T, Ponce N, Sommers BD .
Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act: changes in coverage and access to care by documentation status.
J Immigr Minor Health 2022 Feb;24(1):86-94. doi: 10.1007/s10903-020-01124-0..
Keywords:
Access to Care, Health Insurance, Uninsured, Vulnerable Populations
Chien AT, Leyenaar J, Tomaino M
Difficulty obtaining behavioral health services for children: A national survey of multiphysician practices.
Researchers estimated the proportion of practices that have difficulty accessing resources to deliver evidence-based care for children with behavioral health disorders and investigated whether practices owned by a health system or participating in Medicaid accountable care organizations (ACOs) report less difficulty. They found that more than 85% of practices found it difficult to obtain help with evidence-based elements of pediatric behavioral health care. The percent experiencing difficulty was similar between system-owned and independent practices but was less for Medicaid ACO participants for medication advice and evidence-based psychotherapy; differences were not significant for family-based treatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation:
Chien AT, Leyenaar J, Tomaino M .
Difficulty obtaining behavioral health services for children: A national survey of multiphysician practices.
Ann Fam Med 2022 Jan-Feb;20(1):42-50. doi: 10.1370/afm.2759..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Access to Care
Gordon SH, Hoagland A, Admon LK
Extended postpartum Medicaid eligibility is associated with improved continuity of coverage in the postpartum year.
The purpose of this study was to explore whether states that adopt the American Rescue Plan Act 0f 2021 option to provide eligibility for pregnancy-related benefits for a full year after birth are likely to improve continuity of postpartum insurance coverage. The researchers utilized linked birth records, income, and all-payer claims data for Medicaid-paid births in Colorado during the period 2014-19. Continuity of coverage during one year postpartum among people eligible for low-income adult Medicaid as compared with those ineligible for Medicaid. The study found that retention of Medicaid coverage as a low-income adult was associated with 1.5 additional months of postpartum insurance enrollment and a 12-percentage-point increase in the probability of continuous insurance coverage during the first year after birth. The study concluded that states adopting the American Rescue Plan Act’s option to extend pregnancy-related benefits for a year after birth are likely to increase continuity of postpartum insurance coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS027640.
Citation:
Gordon SH, Hoagland A, Admon LK .
Extended postpartum Medicaid eligibility is associated with improved continuity of coverage in the postpartum year.
Health Aff 2022 Jan;41(1):69-78. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00730..
Keywords:
Maternal Care, Medicaid, Women, Pregnancy, Access to Care, Policy
