Effects of state reinsurance programs on health insurance exchange premiums and insurer participation

Objective

The aim of the study was to estimate the effect of the state-based reinsurance programs through the section 1332 State Innovation Waivers on health insurance marketplace premiums and insurer participation.

Data Source

2015 to 2022 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Insurance Exchange Compare Datasets.

Study Design

An event study difference-in-differences (DD) model separately for each year of implementation and a synthetic control method (SCM) are used to estimate year-by-year effects following program implementation.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Not applicable.

Principal Findings

Reinsurance programs were associated with a decline in premiums in the first year of implementation by 10%–13%, 5%–19%, and 11%–17% for bronze, silver, and gold plans (p < 0.05). There is a trend of sustained declines especially for states that implemented their programs in 2019 and 2020. The SCM analyses suggest some effect heterogeneity across states but also premium declines across most states. There is no evidence that reinsurance programs affected insurer participation.

Conclusion

State-based reinsurance programs have the potential to improve the affordability of health insurance coverage. However, reinsurance programs do not appear to have had an effect on insurer participation, highlighting the need for policy makers to consider complementary strategies to encourage insurer participation.     

Importance of human papillomavirus vaccination leaflets focusing on the safety profile targeted pediatricians in Japan

ObjectivesTo investigate the association between providing leaflets to support pediatricians in explaining the safety of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and mother’s decision to vaccinate their daughters in Japan.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we conducted a survey of mothers to evaluate the effect of leaflets that were created to support pediatricians in explaining the safety profile of the HPV vaccine. Mothers who provided consent for vaccination before receiving an explanation were excluded from the study. The primary outcome was the mother’s decision to vaccinate their daughters with the HPV vaccine after receiving an explanation from pediatricians using our leaflets.ResultsAmong 161 eligible mothers, 101 decided on HPV vaccination (decided group) and 60 did not (decided against group). There was no difference in the maternal background between the 2 groups. The decided group had a significantly more positive impression of the leaflets than the undecided group. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, a detailed explanation for possible adverse events and specific solutions to them was associated with the mother's decision to have their daughters vaccinated (odds ratio 2.35, 95% confidence interval 1.02–5.44), but not the pathology of cervical cancer and the HPV vaccination process.ConclusionLeaflets emphasizing an explanation of adverse events may contribute to mothers’ decision making for HPV vaccination.     

The success of Australia’s ‘No Jab,No Pay’ policy at a local level; retrospective clinical audit of a single medical practice assessing incidence of catch-up vaccinations

Vaccination is a vital health care initiative to prevent individual and population infection. To increase vaccination rates the federal government implemented the ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy, where eligibility for several government benefits required children to be fully vaccinated by removing ‘conscientious objections’ and expanding the age range of children whose families receive benefits. This study assesses the impact of this policy at a local area within a single medical practice community in NSW, Australia. A retrospective clinical audit was performed between 2012 and 2017 on a single general practice's vaccination records for children ≤19 years. Catch-up vaccinations were assessed based on age at vaccination. Incidence of catch-up vaccinations was assessed for each of four years before and two years after the implementation of the ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy in January 2016, along with the age of children and vaccination(s) given. Catch-up vaccinations were assessed temporally either side of implementation of ‘No Jab, No Pay’. Comparing the average annual vaccination catch-up incidence rate of 6.2% pre-implementation (2012–2015), there was an increase to 9.2% in 2016 (p < .001) and 7.8% in 2017 (p = .027). Secondary outcome measurement of catch-up vaccination incidence rates before (2012–2015) and after (2016–2017) ‘No Jab, No Pay’ implementation showed statistically significant increases for children aged 8–11 years (3.2%–5.6%, p = .038), 12–15 years (7.5%–14.7%, p < .001) and 16–19 years (3.3%–10.2%, p < .001) along with a statistically significant reduction in children aged 1–3 years (11.4%–6.2%, p = .015). Also, catch-up rates for DTPa significantly increased after program implementation. This study demonstrates that the Australian federal government vaccination policy ‘No Jab, No Pay’ was coincident with an increase in catch-up vaccinations within a rural NSW community served by one medical practice, especially for older children.     

基层医疗卫生机构居家护理服务的安全支持和医务人员服务意愿调查研究

背景 人口老龄化趋势下，罹患多种慢性病的失能或半失能老年人对居家医疗护理服务需求迫切，但基层医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务存在较大的医疗风险和安全隐患，加强居家医疗护理服务的安全管理，有利于提高基层医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的意愿。 目的 调查基层医疗卫生机构对居家护理服务的安全支持情况和医务人员的服务意愿，为进一步推动居家医疗护理服务发展提供参考依据。 方法 2021年8—10月，采用便利抽样法在四川省五大经济区抽取49所基层医疗卫生机构的1 131例医务人员。自行设计调查问卷，以"问卷星"电子问卷的形式收集资料。问卷内容包括医务人员的一般情况（8个条目）、提供居家医疗护理服务的经历（2个条目）、医疗机构对医务人员的安全支持（7个条目）、医务人员的居家医疗护理服务意愿（1个条目）。比较不同特征医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的意愿，采用二元Logistic回归分析医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务意愿的影响因素。 结果 1 131例基层医务人员中，692例（61.18%）报告有过居家医疗护理服务的经历，193例（17.06%）报告在服务过程中发生过不良事件/安全事件，531例（46.95%）报告其所在医疗机构未评估过患者接受居家医疗护理服务的安全风险，199例（17.60%）表示所在机构评估了医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的安全风险，299例（26.44%）在居家医疗护理服务过程中使用APP定位系统，273例（24.14%）由机构配备报警、延迟预警等设备，807例（71.35%）表示居家医疗护理服务过程中没有获得所在机构内其他医务人员的支持措施，303例（26.79%）表示机构曾组织居家医疗护理服务的专项研讨活动，352例（31.12%）表示接受过有关居家医疗护理服务专项培训，853例（75.42%）表示愿意提供居家医疗护理服务。二元Logistic回归分析结果显示，就职的基层医疗卫生机构类型，目前受聘的专业技术职称，医疗机构是否评估过患者接受居家医疗护理服务的安全风险，在居家医疗护理服务过程中是否配备报警、延迟预警等设备，是否参加过有关居家医疗护理服务的专项培训，对医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务意愿有影响（P<0.05）。 结论 现阶段居家医疗护理服务的安全支持不足，多种因素影响基层医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的意愿。基层医疗卫生机构应加强对患者接受居家医疗护理服务安全风险的评估，为提供居家医疗护理服务的医务人员配备报警、延迟预警等设备，积极举办居家医疗护理服务相关的专项培训并鼓励医务人员参加，以降低医务人员提供居家医疗护理服务的风险，保障其人身安全。     

The Affordable Care Act's “community first choice” option: Effect on long-term care expenditures

Objective

To empirically assess the effect of adopting Affordable Care Act's Community First Choice (CFC) option on overall state home and community-based services (HCBS) expenditures as well as distribution of HCBS expenditures across different HCBS mechanisms. We also explore the heterogeneous effect of CFC across adopting states.

Data Source

We used data from the Medicaid Long Term Services and Support (LTSS) expenditure reports prepared by Truven Analytics and Mathematica for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from 2008–2018 for all 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Study Design

An event-study difference-in-differences model was used to estimate the effect of CFC on HCBS expenditures using Medicaid LTSS expenditure reports from 2008–2018. We also employ the synthetic control method to unmask heterogeneity across CFC adopting states using data from 2008–2018.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Not applicable.

Principal Findings

Overall, CFC was not associated with a change in HCBS expenditures per capita or HCBS expenditures as a proportion of LTSS expenditures. However, there appears to be an increase in HCBS expenditures among states that were institutionally-oriented prior to CFC adoption. Additionally, CFC adoption was associated with an overall decrease in expenditures in alternative HCBS mechanisms (Personal Care Services State Plan Option and 1915(c) waivers), suggesting potential substitution across overlapping programs.

Conclusion

Results indicate heterogeneity across states adopting CFC. More institutionally-oriented states appear to use CFC to expand HCBS. In contrast, more HCBS-oriented states appear to employ CFC to strategically restructure their overall portfolio and processes.