Changes in Patient Visits After the Implementation of Insurance Billing at a Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic in a Medicaid Expansion State

Characterizing Financial Sustainability of Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics Through Insurance Billing Practices

CONTEXT

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to increase in the United States. Publicly funded sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics provide important safety net services for communities at greater risk for STIs. However, creating financially sustainable models of STI care remains a challenge.

OBJECTIVE

Characterization of clinic insurance billing practices and patient willingness to use insurance.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey assessment of clinic administrators and patients.

SETTING

Twenty-six STD clinics and 4138 patients attending these clinics in high STD morbidity metropolitan statistical areas in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Clinic administrators and patients of these clinics.

INTERVENTION

Survey assessment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Insurance billing practices of STD clinics and patient insurance status and willingness to use their insurance.

RESULTS

Fifteen percent of clinics (4/26) indicated that they billed only Medicaid, 58% (15/26) billed both Medicaid and private insurance, 27% (7/26) did not bill for any health insurance, and none (0%) billed only private health insurance companies. Of 4138 patients surveyed, just more than one-half of patients (52.6%) were covered by some form of health insurance. More than one-half (57.2%) of all patients covered by health insurance indicated that they would be willing to use their health insurance for that visit. After adjusting for patient demographics and clinic characteristics, the patients covered by government insurance were 3 times as likely (odds ratio: 3.16; 95% confidence interval, 2.44-4.10) than patients covered by private insurance to be willing to use their insurance for their visit.

CONCLUSION

Opportunities exist for sustainable STI services through the enhancement of billing practices in STD clinics. The STD clinics provide care to large numbers of individuals who are both insured and who are willing to use their insurance for their care. As Medicaid expansion continues across the country, efforts focused on improving reimbursement rates for Medicaid may improve financial sustainability of STD clinics.

Implementing Insurance Billing in Local Health Department Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics in Virginia, 2017

In 2017, the Virginia Department of Health implemented billing of insurance in local health department sexually transmitted disease clinics. We examined data collected by Virginia Department of Health related to clinic encounters, billing, and revenue from sexually transmitted disease clinics statewide. Implementing insurance billing created a new revenue stream for local health departments.