Medicaid Expansion Under Health Reform May Increase Service Use And Improve Access for Low-Income Adults With Diabetes

Primary care visits and ambulatory care sensitive diabetes hospitalizations among adult Alabama Medicaid beneficiaries

PURPOSE

To describe patterns of care use for Alabama Medicaid adult beneficiaries with diabetes and the association between primary care utilization and ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) diabetes hospitalizations.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzes Alabama Medicaid claims data from January 2010 to April 2018 for 52,549 covered adults ages 19-64 with diabetes. Individuals were characterized by demographics, comorbidities, and health care use including primary, specialty, mental health and hospital care. Characteristics of those with and without any ACS diabetes hospitalization are reported. A set of 118,758 observations was created, pairing information on primary care use in one year with ACS hospitalizations in the following year. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the impact of primary care use on the occurrence of an ACS hospitalization.

RESULTS

One third of the cohort had at least one ACS diabetes hospitalization over their observed periods; hospital users tended to have multiple ACS hospitalizations. Hospital users had more comorbidities and pharmaceutical and other types of care use than those with no ACS hospitalizations. Controlling for other types of care use, comorbidities and demographics, having a primary care visit in one year was significantly associated with a reduced likelihood of ACS hospitalization in the following year (odds ratio comparing 1-2 visits versus none 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.73-0.85).

CONCLUSIONS

Program and population health interventions that increase access to primary care can have a beneficial effect of reducing excess inpatient hospital use for Medicaid covered adults with diabetes.

Equality in Hip Arthroscopy Outcomes Can Be Achieved Regardless of Patient Socioeconomic Status

BACKGROUND

Access to quality health care and treatment outcomes can be affected by patients' socioeconomic status (SES).

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of patient SES on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after arthroscopic hip surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

Demographic, radiographic, and intraoperative data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed on all patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and labral tear between February 2008 and September 2017 at one institution. Patients were divided into 4 cohorts based on the Social Deprivation Index (SDI) of their zip code. SDI is a composite measure that quantifies the level of disadvantage in certain geographical areas. Patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up for the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), International Hip Outcome Tool-12, and visual analog scale (VAS) for both pain and satisfaction. Rates of achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) were calculated for the mHHS, NAHS, and VAS pain score. Rates of secondary surgery were also recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 680 hips (616 patients) were included. The mean follow-up time for the entire cohort was 30.25 months. Division of the cohort into quartiles based on the SDI national averages yielded 254 hips (37.4%) in group 1, 184 (27.1%) in group 2, 148 (21.8%) in group 3, and 94 (13.8%) in group 4. Group 1 contained the most affluent patients. There were significantly more men in group 4 than in group 2, and the mean body mass index was greater in group 4 than in groups 1 and 2. There were no differences in preoperative radiographic measurements, intraoperative findings, or rates of concomitant procedures performed. All preoperative and postoperative PROMs were similar between the groups, as well as in the rates of achieving the MCID or PASS. No differences in the rate of secondary surgeries were reported.

CONCLUSION

Regardless of SES, patients were able to achieve significant improvements in several PROMs after hip arthroscopy for FAIS and labral tear at the minimum 2-year follow-up. Additionally, patients from all SES groups achieved clinically meaningful improvement at similar rates.

Determinants of Diabetes Disease Management, 2011-2019

This study estimated the effects of Medicaid Expansion, demographics, socioeconomic status (SES), and health status on disease management of diabetes over time. The hypothesis was that the introduction of the ACA and particularly Medicaid Expansion would increase the following dependent variables (all proportions): (1) provider checks of HbA1c, (2) provider checks of feet, (3) provider checks of eyes, (4) patient education, (5) annual physician checks for diabetes, (6) patient self-checks of blood sugar. Data were available from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2011 to 2019. We filtered the data to include only patients with diagnosed non-gestational diabetes of age 45 or older (n = 510,991 cases prior to weighting). Linear splines modeled Medicaid Expansion based on state of residence as well as implementation status. Descriptive time series plots showed no major changes in proportions of the dependent variables over time. Quasibinomial analysis showed that implementation of Medicaid Expansion had a statistically negative effect on patient self-checks of blood sugar (odds ratio = 0.971, p < 0.001), a statistically positive effect on physician checks of HbA1c (odds ratio = 1.048, p < 0.001), a statistically positive effect on feet checks (odds ratio = 1.021, p < 0.001), and no other significant effects. Evidence of demographic, SES, and health status disparities existed for most of the dependent variables. This finding was especially significant for HbA1c checks by providers. Barriers to achieving better diabetic care remain and require innovative policy interventions.

Impact of Expanded Medicaid Eligibility on the Diabetes Continuum of Care Among Low-Income Adults: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The impact of Medicaid expansion on linkage to care, self-maintenance, and treatment among low-income adults with diabetes was examined.

METHODS

A difference-in-differences design was used on data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2008-2018. Analysis was restricted to states with diabetes outcomes and nonpregnant adults aged 18-64 years who were Medicaid eligible on the basis of income. Separate analyses were performed for early postexpansion (1, 2, 3) and late postexpansion years (4, 5). Analyses were performed from September 2019 to March 2020.

RESULTS

In comparing expansion with control states, low-income residents with diabetes had similar ages (48.9 vs 49.1 years) and similar proportions who were female (54.4% vs 55.0%) but were less likely to be Black, non-Hispanic (20.8% vs 29.2%, standardized difference= -16.3%). In expansion states, health insurance increased by 7.2 percentage points (95% CI=3.9, 10.4), and the ability to afford a physician increased by 5.5 percentage points (95% CI=1.9, 9.1) in the early years, but no difference was found in late years. Medicaid expansion led to a 5.3-percentage point increase in provider foot examinations in the early period (95% CI=0.14, 10.4) and a 7.2-percentage point increase in self-foot examinations in the late period (95% CI=1.1, 13.3). No statistically significant changes were detected in self-reported linkage to care, self-maintenance, or treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Although health insurance, ability to afford a physician visit, and foot examinations increased for Medicaid-eligible people with diabetes, there was no statistically significant difference found for other care continuum measures.

Relationship between insurance and access and cost of care in patients with diabetes before and after the affordable care act

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of insurance coverage changes over time for patients with diabetes on expenditures and access to care before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Design/methodology/approach

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2002–2017 was used. Access included having a usual source of care, having delay in care or having delay in obtaining prescription medicine. Expenditures included inpatient, outpatient, office-based, prescription and emergency costs. Panels were broken into four time categories: 2002–2005 (pre-ACA), 2006–2009 (pre-ACA), 2010–2013 (post-ACA) and 2014–2017 (post-ACA). Logistic models for access and two-part regression models for cost were used to understand differences by insurance type over time.

Findings

Type of insurance changed significantly over time, with an increase for public insurance from 30.7% in 2002–2005 to 36.5% in 2014–2017 and a decrease in private insurance from 62.4% in 2002–2005 to 58.2% in 2014–2017. Compared to those with private insurance, those who were uninsured had lower inpatient ($2,147 less), outpatient ($431 less), office-based ($1,555 less), prescription ($1,869 less) and emergency cost ($92 less). Uninsured were also more likely to have delay in getting medical care (OR = 2.22; 95% CI 1.86, 3.06) and prescription medicine (OR = 1.85; 95% CI 1.53, 2.24) compared with privately insured groups.

Originality/value

Though insurance coverage among patients with diabetes did not increase significantly, the type of insurance changed overtime and fewer individuals reported having a usual source of care. Uninsured individuals spent less across all cost types and were more likely to report delay in care despite the passage of the ACA.

Trends in Costs of Care and Utilization for Medicaid Patients With Diabetes in Accountable Care Communities

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Medicaid beneficiaries with diabetes have complex care needs. The Accountable Care Communities (ACC) Program is a practice-level intervention implemented by UnitedHealthcare to improve care for Medicaid beneficiaries. We examined changes in costs and utilization for Medicaid beneficiaries with diabetes assigned to ACC versus usual care practices.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Interrupted time series with concurrent control group analysis, at the person-month level. The ACC was implemented in 14 states, and we selected comparison non-ACC practices from those states to control for state-level variation in Medicaid program. We adjusted the models for age, sex, race/ethnicity, comorbidities, seasonality, and state-by-year fixed effects. We examined the difference between ACC and non-ACC practices in changes in the time trends of expenditures and hospital and emergency room utilization, for the 4 largest categories of Medicaid eligibility [Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income (without Medicare), Expansion, Dual-Eligible].

SUBJECTS/MEASURES

Eligibility and claims data from Medicaid adults with diabetes from 14 states between 2010 and 2016, before and after ACC implementation.

RESULTS

Analyses included 1,200,460 person-months from 66,450 Medicaid patients with diabetes. ACC implementation was not associated with significant changes in outcome time trends, relative to comparators, for all Medicaid categories.

CONCLUSIONS

Medicaid patients assigned to ACC practices had no changes in cost or utilization over 3 years of follow-up, compared with patients assigned to non-ACC practices. The ACC program may not reduce costs or utilization for Medicaid patients with diabetes.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Financial Incentives for Medicaid Beneficiaries with Diabetes

BACKGROUND

The Medicaid Incentives for Prevention of Chronic Diseases program was authorized by the Affordable Care Act to determine the effectiveness of providing financial incentives.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the impact of incentives on adult Medicaid beneficiaries' diabetes self-management using the Hawaii Patient Reward And Incentives to Support Empowerment project.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii with 320 participants (159 intervention group/161 control group). Participants could earn up to $320/y of financial incentives, distributed in the form of a debit card. Evaluation measures included 1) clinical outcomes of change in hemoglobin A_1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol; 2) compliance with American Diabetes Association standards; 3) cost effectiveness; 4) quality of life; 5) self-management activities; and 6) satisfaction with incentives.

RESULTS

No significant differences in clinical outcomes were found between groups. There were no differences in observance of American Diabetes Association standards of medical care between the intervention and control group. The project also did not show reduction in health cost. However, participants in the intervention group reported significantly higher adherence with the recommended general diet than those in the control group during the course of the study. They also reported statistically better physical health than their control counterparts at the midpoint of the study; however, the perception of increased physical health didn't sustain to the end of the study. Participants' satisfaction with incentives was high.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this study found no conclusive evidence that financial incentives alone had beneficial effects on improving standards of medical care in diabetes.

Variation of preventive service utilization by state Medicaid coverage, cost-sharing, and Medicaid expansion status

Preventive services can help reduce costs associated with chronic conditions. Medicaid beneficiaries have high rates of chronic conditions, but state Medicaid coverage and cost-sharing of preventive services varies widely. States that chose to expand Medicaid under the ACA were incentivized to cover recommended preventive services at no cost-sharing. This study evaluates whether state Medicaid policy and Medicaid expansion were associated with overall utilization, and disparities in utilization of preventive services among vulnerable populations. We used Medicaid policy data from Kaiser Family Foundation and MEPS data (2009-2014, n = 15,610), collected and analyzed in 2017. We used multivariable logistic regression, difference-in-differences, and difference-in-difference-in-differences models to examine the association between state Medicaid preventive service policy and Medicaid expansion on overall utilization, and disparities in utilization among race/ethnicity and income groups for blood pressure check, cholesterol screening, and flu shot. Medicaid coverage of flu shot was significantly associated with utilization (p < 0.001). Medicaid expansion significantly increased flu shot utilization among near-poor individuals (p < 0.01), Asians, and Latinos and blood pressure screening among African Americans (p < 0.05). For flu shot, the ACA is reaching its target audience: those in the coverage gap between Medicaid and private insurance. Increasing access to preventive services may not be enough to increase utilization, especially for vulnerable populations and/or the previously uninsured. Focusing on provider adherence to preventive service guidelines and education around who is eligible for what service and when could help increase utilization of preventive services in the future.

Medical Expenditures Associated With Diabetes Among Adult Medicaid Enrollees in Eight States

Introduction

Little information is available on state-specific financial burdens of diabetes in the Medicaid population, yet such information is essential for state Medicaid programs to plan diabetes care and evaluate the benefits of diabetes prevention. We estimated medical expenditures associated with diabetes among adult Medicaid enrollees in 8 states.

Methods

We analyzed the latest available 2012 CMS Medicaid claims data for 1,193,811 adult enrollees aged 19–64 years in 8 states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New York, and Oklahoma. For each state, we stratified the study population by Medicaid eligibility criteria: disability and nondisability. For each group, we estimated per capita annual medical expenditures on outpatient care, inpatient care, and prescription drugs by using a 2-part model, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and comorbidities. We calculated the expenditures associated with diabetes as the difference in predicted expenditures for enrollees with and without diabetes. Analyses were done in 2017.

Results

For disability-based enrollees, the estimated total per capita annual diabetes expenditures ranged from $6,183 in Alabama to $15,319 in New York (all P < .001). For nondisability-based enrollees, the corresponding estimates ranged from $4,985 in Alabama to $15,366 in New York (all P < .001). The proportion of individual components varied by state and eligibility criteria.

Conclusion

Medical expenditures associated with diabetes among adults on Medicaid were substantial and varied across studied states. Our estimates can be used by the 8 state Medicaid programs to prepare health care resources needed for diabetes care and assess the financial benefits of diabetes prevention programs.

Did Health Care Reform Help Kentucky Address Disparities in Coverage and Access to Care among the Poor?

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of Kentucky's full rollout of the Affordable Care Act on disparities in access to care due to poverty.

DATA SOURCE

Restricted version of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for Kentucky and years 2011-2015.

STUDY DESIGN

We use a difference-in-differences framework to compare trends before and after implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in health insurance coverage, several access measures, and health care utilization for residents in higher versus lower poverty ZIP codes.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Much of the reduction in Kentucky's uninsured rate appears driven by large uptakes in coverage from areas with higher concentrations of poverty. Residents in high-poverty communities experienced larger reductions, 8 percentage points (pp) in uninsured status and 7.5 pp in reporting unmet needs due to costs, than residents of lower poverty areas. These effects helped remove pre-ACA disparities in uninsured rates across these areas.

CONCLUSION

Because we observe positive effects on coverage and reductions in financial barriers to care among those from poorer communities, our findings suggest that expanding Medicaid helps address the health care needs of the impoverished.

Inequality and the health-care system in the USA

Widening economic inequality in the USA has been accompanied by increasing disparities in health outcomes. The life expectancy of the wealthiest Americans now exceeds that of the poorest by 10-15 years. This report, part of a Series on health and inequality in the USA, focuses on how the health-care system, which could reduce income-based disparities in health, instead often exacerbates them. Other articles in this Series address population health inequalities, and the health effects of racism, mass incarceration, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Poor Americans have worse access to care than do wealthy Americans, partly because many remain uninsured despite coverage expansions since 2010 due to the ACA. For individuals with private insurance, rising premiums and cost sharing have undermined wage gains and driven many households into debt and even bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the share of health-care resources devoted to care of the wealthy has risen. Additional reforms that move forward, rather than backward, from the ACA are sorely needed to mitigate health and health-care inequalities and reduce the financial burdens of medical care borne by non-wealthy Americans.

Where You Live Matters: Quality and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Schizophrenia Care in Four State Medicaid Programs

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether (a) quality in schizophrenia care varies by race/ethnicity and over time and (b) these patterns differ across counties within states.

DATA SOURCES

Medicaid claims data from California, Florida, New York, and North Carolina during 2002-2008.

STUDY DESIGN

We studied black, Latino, and white Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia. Hierarchical regression models, by state, quantified person and county effects of race/ethnicity and year on a composite quality measure, adjusting for person-level characteristics.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Overall, our cohort included 164,014 person-years (41-61 percent non-whites), corresponding to 98,400 beneficiaries. Relative to whites, quality was lower for blacks in every state and also lower for Latinos except in North Carolina. Temporal improvements were observed in California and North Carolina only. Within each state, counties differed in quality and disparities. Between-county variation in the black disparity was larger than between-county variation in the Latino disparity in California, and smaller in North Carolina; Latino disparities did not vary by county in Florida. In every state, counties differed in annual changes in quality; by 2008, no county had narrowed the initial disparities.

CONCLUSIONS

For Medicaid beneficiaries living in the same state, quality and disparities in schizophrenia care are influenced by county of residence for reasons beyond patients' characteristics.

Effect of expansions in state Medicaid eligibility on access to care and the use of emergency department services for adult Medicaid enrollees

IMPORTANCE

Medicaid enrollees typically report worse access to care than other insured populations. Expansions in Medicaid through less restrictive income eligibility requirements and the resulting influx of new enrollees may further erode access to care for those already enrolled in Medicaid.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of previous Medicaid expansions on self-reported access to care and the use of emergency department services by Medicaid enrollees.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design among 1714 adult Medicaid enrollees in 10 states that expanded Medicaid between June 1, 2000, and October 1, 2009, and 5097 Medicaid enrollees in 14 bordering control states that did not expand Medicaid.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Self-reported access to care and annualized emergency department use.

RESULTS

Among states expanding their Medicaid program for adults, the mean income eligibility level increased from 82.6% to 144.2% of the federal poverty level. Income eligibility in matched control states remained constant at 77.1% of the federal poverty level. The proportion of adults reporting being enrolled in Medicaid increased from 7.2% to 8.8% in expansion states and from 6.1% to 6.4% in matched control states. In Medicaid program expansion states, the proportion of Medicaid enrollees reporting poor access to care declined from 8.5% before the expansion to 7.3% after the expansion. In matched control states, the proportion of Medicaid enrollees reporting poor access to care remained constant at 5.3%. The proportion of enrollees reporting any emergency department use decreased from 41.2% to 40.1% in expansion states and from 37.3% to 36.1% in matched control states. In the period following expansions, newly eligible enrollees reported poorer access to care than previously enrolled beneficiaries, although the overall difference between groups did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

We found no evidence that expanding the number of individuals eligible for Medicaid coverage eroded perceived access to care or increased the use of emergency services among adult Medicaid enrollees.

Race/ethnicity, insurance, income and access to care: the influence of health status

OBJECTIVES

To examine health care access disparities with regard to health status and presence of functional limitations, a common measure of disability and multimorbidity, after controlling for individual's race/ethnicity, insurance status and income in the U.S. using the latest survey data.

METHODS

Using data from the 2009 Family Core component of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), we examined six measures of access to care in the twelve months prior to the interview. Covariates included self-perceived health status and the presence of functional limitations, race/ethnicity, insurance status, income, and other socioeconomic characteristics. Multiple logistic regressions were used to examine the associations.

RESULTS

People with functional limitations or worse health status experience greater barriers to access. Insurance status was the single factor that was associated with all six measures of access. Disparities among racial/ethnic groups in most access indicators as well as income levels were insignificant after taking into account individuals' health status measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions to expand insurance coverage and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are expected to contribute to reducing disparities in access to care. However, to further improve access to care, emphasis must be placed on those with poorer health status and functional limitations.