Impacts of Medicaid Expansion on Health Insurance and Coverage Transitions among Women with or at Risk for HIV in the United States

BackgroundAs employment, financial status, and residential location change, people can gain, lose, or switch health insurance coverage, which may affect care access and health. Among Women's Interagency HIV Study participants with HIV and participants at risk for HIV attending semiannual visits at 10 U.S. sites, we examined whether the prevalence of coverage types and rates of coverage changes differed by HIV status and Medicaid expansion in their states of residence.MethodsGeocoded addresses were merged with dates of Medicaid expansion to indicate, at each visit, whether women lived in Medicaid expansion states. Age-adjusted rate ratios (RRs) and rate differences of self-reported insurance changes were estimated by Poisson regression.ResultsFrom 2008 to 2018, 3,341 women (67% Black, 71% with HIV) contributed 43,329 visits at aged less than 65 years (27% under Medicaid expansion). Women with and women without HIV differed in their proportions of visits at which no coverage (14% vs. 19%; p < .001) and Medicaid enrollment (61% vs. 51%; p < .001) were reported. Women in Medicaid expansion states reported no coverage and Medicaid enrollment at 4% and 69% of visits, respectively, compared with 20% and 53% of visits for those in nonexpansion states. Women with HIV had a lower rate of losing coverage than those without HIV (RR, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70 to 0.95). Compared with nonexpansion, Medicaid expansion was associated with lower coverage loss (RR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.72) and greater coverage gain (RR, 2.32; 95% CI, 2.02 to 2.67), with no differences by HIV status.ConclusionsBoth women with HIV and women at high risk for HIV in Medicaid expansion states had lower coverage loss and greater coverage gain; therefore, Medicaid expansion throughout the United States should be expected to stabilize insurance for women and improve downstream health outcomes.     

Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on Receipt of Women's Preventive Services in Community Health Centers in Medicaid Expansion and Nonexpansion States

BackgroundThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased health insurance coverage throughout the United States and improved care delivery for some services. We assess whether ACA implementation and Medicaid expansion were followed by greater receipt of recommended preventive services among women and girls in a large network of community health centers.MethodsUsing electronic health record data from 354 community health centers in 14 states (10 expansion, 4 nonexpansion), we used generalized estimating equations and difference-in-difference methods to compare receipt of six recommended preventive services (cervical cancer screening, human papilloma virus vaccination, chlamydia screening, influenza vaccination, human immunodeficiency virus screening, and blood pressure screening) among active female patients ages 11 to 65 (N = 711,121) before and after ACA implementation and between states that expanded versus did not expand Medicaid.ResultsExcept for blood pressure screening, receipt of all examined preventive services increased after ACA implementation in both Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states. Influenza vaccination and blood pressure screening increased more in expansion states (adjusted absolute prevalence difference-in-difference, 1.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.51–2.60; and 1.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.91–3.05, respectively). Chlamydia screening increased more in nonexpansion states (adjusted absolute prevalence difference-in-difference: ?4.21; 95% confidence interval, ?6.98 to ?1.45). Increases in cervical cancer screening, human immunodeficiency virus screening, and human papilloma virus vaccination did not differ significantly between expansion and nonexpansion states.ConclusionsAmong female patients at community health centers, receipt of recommended preventive care improved after ACA implementation in both Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states, although the overall rates remained low. Continued support is needed to overcome barriers to preventive care in this population.     

An Early Look at Rates of Uninsured Safety Net Clinic Visits After the Affordable Care Act

PURPOSEThe Affordable Care Act of 2010 supports marked expansions in Medicaid coverage in the United States. As of January 1, 2014, a total of 25 states and the District of Columbia expanded their Medicaid programs. We 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.METHODSWe undertook a longitudinal observational study of coverage status for adult visits in community health centers, from 12 months before Medicaid expansion (January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013) through 6 months after expansion (January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2014). We analyzed data from 156 clinics in the OCHIN practice-based research network, with a shared electronic health record, located in 9 states (5 expanded Medicaid coverage and 4 did not).RESULTSAnalyses were based on 333,655 nonpregnant adult patients and their 1,276,298 in-person billed encounters. 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. In contrast, 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.CONCLUSIONSThere was a substantial decrease in uninsured community health center visits and a significant increase in Medicaid-covered visits in study clinics in states that expanded Medicaid in 2014, whereas study clinics in states opting out of the expansion continued to have a high rate of uninsured visits. These findings suggest that Affordable Care Act–related Medicaid expansions have successfully decreased the number of uninsured safety net patients in the United States.     

Younger Individuals Increase Their Use of Nursing Homes Following ACA Medicaid Expansion

ObjectivesThis study examines the effect of Medicaid eligibility expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the utilization of nursing home services by younger individuals and those covered by Medicaid.DesignCompared the age of nursing home residents, proportion of individuals covered by Medicaid, annual nursing home admissions in those younger than 65, and nursing home length of stay in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility through the ACA to states that did not. We used data from LTCFocus (nursing home level), the Minimum Data Set (individual level), and Medicaid expansion status from the Kaiser Family Foundation.Setting and ParticipantsThe study included 15,005,888 nursing home admissions, 2,446,950 of which were residents younger than 65, across 14,132 nursing homes between 2009 and 2016.MethodsA time-varying difference-in-difference model including state and year fixed effects with effect modification by pre-2014 nursing home occupancy.ResultsFacilities in expansion states with a pre-ACA occupancy rate of more than 70% increased the fraction of residents younger than 65 by 2.74% to 6.32%, compared with similar facilities in nonexpansion states. Medicaid admissions varied, with an increase in year 2 after expansion compared with nonexpansion states. Among residents entering from an acute care hospital, the proportion younger than 65 increased in facilities with pre-2014 occupancy rates of more than 70%, compared with similar facilities in nonexpansion states, an increase of up to 6.51%. Median nursing home length of stay for individuals younger than 65 decreased relative to nonexpansion states across all occupancy categories, ranging from 1.68 to 6.06 days after Medicaid expansion.Conclusions and ImplicationsMedicaid expansion increased access to nursing home post-acute care for individuals younger than 65. It remains unclear if the benefit of post-acute care is the same among this group, or if the needs of younger individuals can be adequately met in this setting.     

Medicaid Covered Births, 2008 Through 2010, in the Context of the Implementation of Health Reform

BackgroundMedicaid is a major source of public health care financing for pregnant women and deliveries in the United States. Starting in 2014, some states will extend Medicaid to thousands of previously uninsured, low-income women. Given this changing landscape, it is important to have a baseline of current levels of Medicaid financing for births in each state. This article aims to 1) provide up-to-date, multiyear data for all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and 2) summarize issues of data comparability in view of increased interest in program performance and impact assessment.MethodsWe collected 2008–2010 data on Medicaid births from individual state contacts during the winter of 2012–2013, systematically documenting sources and challenges.FindingsIn 2010, Medicaid financed 48% of all births, an increase of 19% in the proportion of all births covered by Medicaid in 2008. Percentages varied among states. Numerous data challenges were found.Conclusions/Implications for Research and PolicyConsistent adoption of the 2003 birth certificate in all states would allow the National Center for Health Statistics Natality Detail dataset to serve as a nationally representative source of data for the financing of births in the United States. As states expand coverage to low-income women, women of childbearing age will be able to obtain coverage before and between pregnancies, allowing for access to services that could improve their overall and reproductive health, as well as birth outcomes. Improved birth outcomes could translate into substantial cost savings, because the costs associated with preterm births are estimated to be 10 times greater than those for full-term births.     

Healthier mothers and babies

At the beginning of the 20th century, for every 1000 live births, six to nine women in the United States died of pregnancy-related complications, and approximately 100 infants died before age 1 year. From 1915 through 1997, the infant mortality rate declined >90% to 7.2 per 1000 live births, and from 1900 through 1997, the maternal mortality rate declined almost 99% to <0.1 reported death per 1000 live births (7.7 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1997). Environmental interventions, improvements in nutrition, advances in clinical medicine, improvements in access to health care, improvements in surveillance and monitoring of disease, increases in education levels, and improvements in standards of living contributed to this remarkable decline. Despite these improvements in maternal and infant mortality rates, significant disparities by race and ethnicity persist. This report summarizes trends in reducing infant and maternal mortality in the United States, factors contributing to these trends, challenges in reducing infant and maternal mortality, and provides suggestions for public health action for the 21st century.     

Maternity Care Deserts and Pregnancy-Associated Mortality in Louisiana

BackgroundMaternal mortality is an issue of growing concern in the United States, where the incidence of death during pregnancy and postpartum seems to be increasing. The purpose of this analysis was to explore whether residing in a maternity care desert (defined as a county with no hospital offering obstetric care and no OB/GYN or certified nurse midwife providers) was associated with risk of death during pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum among women in Louisiana from 2016 to 2017.MethodsData provided by the March of Dimes were used to classify Louisiana parishes by level of access to maternity care. Using data on all pregnancy-associated deaths verified by the Louisiana Department of Health (n = 112 from 2016 to 2017) and geocoded live births occurring in Louisiana during the same time period (n = 101,484), we fit adjusted modified Poisson regression models with generalized estimating equations and exploratory spatial analysis to identify significant associations between place of residence and risk of death.ResultsWe found that the risk of death during pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum owing to any cause (pregnancy-associated mortality) and in particular death owing to obstetric causes (pregnancy-related mortality) was significantly elevated among women residing in maternity care deserts compared with women in areas with greater access (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] for pregnancy-associated mortality, 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–3.18; aRR for pregnancy-related mortality, 3.37; 95% CI, 1.71–6.65). A large racial inequity in risk persisted above and beyond differences in geographic access to maternity care (non-Hispanic Black vs. non-Hispanic White aRR for pregnancy-associated mortality, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.39–3.56; aRR for pregnancy-related mortality, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.16–6.12).ConclusionsEnsuring access to maternity care may be an important step toward maternal mortality prevention, but may alone be insufficient for achieving maternal health equity.     

Medicaid healthy behavior incentives and use of dental services

ObjectiveTo examine changes in access to dental care in states using Section 1115 waivers to implement healthy behavior incentive (HBI) programs in their Medicaid expansion under the ACA, compared to traditional expansion states and nonexpansion states.Data sourcesBehavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2008 to 2018.Study designWe used difference‐in‐differences analysis to compare changes in three Medicaid expansion states with HBI (Iowa, Indiana, Michigan) to traditional expansion (Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio) and nonexpansion states (Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming) in the same mid‐Western region of the country. The sample included 32 556 low‐income adults.Data collection/extraction methodsNA.Principal findingsWe found no significant changes in dental visits associated with HBI or traditional expansion relative to nonexpansion states. HBI expansion was associated with an increase of 2.2 percentage points in reporting a dental visit in the past year for adults in urban areas (P < 0.05) while the traditional expansion was associated with a reduction of 8.5 percentage points (P < 0.01) in utilization in rural areas relative to nonexpansion states. However, after adjustment for preexisting trends, the coefficients were no longer significant, suggesting that these differences are likely due to preexisting trends.ConclusionsWe did not find evidence of increased utilization of routine dental care associated with HBI programs.     

Decline in Frequency of Newborn Male Circumcision After Change in Medicaid Coverage Status in Selected States in the United States

ObjectivesMale circumcision is linked to a reduction in the risk of HIV infection, sexually transmitted infections, penile inflammatory skin disorders, cancers, urinary tract infections, and other complications. We examined the extent to which the change in circumcision recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1999 and Medicaid coverage status in states affected the total number of procedures performed.MethodsWe used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 1998-2011 collected annually by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. We examined data on all male births in the United States with Medicaid and private health insurance. We then categorized births into 4 groups: (1) births with newborn male circumcision procedure, (2) births with Medicaid or private health insurance, (3) births that occurred in states where Medicaid coverage for newborn male circumcision was removed, and (4) births that occurred before or after the policy change. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the adjusted odds of newborn male circumcision.ResultsIn the 10 states where a change in Medicaid policy occurred, circumcision frequency had a mean percentage-point decrease of 21.4% among Medicaid beneficiaries and 3.2% among private health insurance beneficiaries from before to after the policy change. In states where coverage was maintained, the change in circumcision frequency was negligible for Medicaid and private health insurance beneficiaries. These changes resulted in an estimated 163 456 potential circumcisions not performed.ConclusionDecreases in newborn male circumcision frequency correlated with the Medicaid policy change for the procedure. Efforts should be made to reduce barriers for cost-effective preventive procedures that promote health, such as newborn male circumcision.     

Maternal Mortality Decline in the Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana

Objective In the absence of an adequate vital registration system in Ghana, the Navrongo demographic surveillance system (NDSS) established in 1993 presents a viable alternative to monitor, in a poor rural district, the UN Millennium Development Goal on maternal health (MDG) of reducing maternal mortality by 75% between 1990 and 2015. Methods Of the 518 women aged 12–49 years identified in the NDSS database to have died in the Kassena-Nankana district in the period January 2002–December 2004, spouses or family members completed verbal autopsy interviews for 516 female deaths. Results Of the 516 female deaths, 45 were identified as maternal deaths. 71% of the maternal deaths were attributed to direct maternal causes while 29% were due to indirect maternal causes. Abortion-related deaths were the most frequent cause of maternal deaths. The maternal mortality ratio for the period 2002–2004 was 373 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births indicating a 40% reduction of maternal mortality from the 1995–1996 level of 637 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. However, the health-facility based maternal mortality ratio in the district (which excludes maternal deaths outside health facilities) was 141 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for the period 2002–2004. Conclusion This district may be on track to achieve the MDG on maternal health. Ultimately, strengthening vital registration systems to provide timely information to policymakers should supersede the other methods of measuring maternal mortality.     

Variations in Maternal Factors and Preterm Birth Risk among Non-Hispanic Black,White, and Mixed-Race Black/White Women in the United States, 2017

ObjectiveThis study aims to compare preterm birth (PTB) risk and maternal factors associated with PTB among non-Hispanic White, Black, and mixed-race Black/White women in the United States.MethodsIn this study, we used U.S. birth certificate data from the 2017 National Vital Statistics System. We included live singleton births to women who self-identified as non-Hispanic White, Black, or mixed-race Black/White. PTB was defined as less than 37 weeks of gestation. We used logistic regression models to estimate the PTB odds ratios for Black and Black/White relative to White women, adjusted for maternal factors. We used logistic regression to estimate associations between PTB and maternal factors in race-stratified models.ResultsThe sample included a total of 2,297,076 births in 2017 to White (n = 1,792,257), Black (n = 476,969), and Black/White (n = 27,850) women. The prevalence of PTB varied for Black (11.2%), Black/White (8.2%), and White (6.8%) women. The odds of PTB compared with White differed for Black (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.49–1.53) and Black/White (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–1.18) women after adjusting for maternal factors. The odds of PTB associated with maternal sociodemographic, prepregnancy, and gestational factors differed by maternal race.ConclusionsEvaluation of PTB risk among White, Black, and Black/White women revealed distinct associations between PTB and maternal factors for Black/White women. This study highlights the need for research assessing the relationships between social risk factors such as colorism and racism and the outcome of PTB, and it provides evidence that may inform more targeted PTB prevention among Black/White and Black women.     

Medicaid expansions,preconception insurance,and unintended pregnancy among new parents

ObjectiveTo assess the relationship between recent changes in Medicaid eligibility and preconception insurance coverage, pregnancy intention, health care use, and risk factors for poor birth outcomes among first‐time parents.Data SourceThis study used individual‐level data from the national Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (2006‐2017), which surveys individuals who recently gave birth in the United States on their experiences before, during, and after pregnancy.Study DesignOutcomes included preconception insurance status, pregnancy intention, stress from bills, early prenatal care, and diagnoses of high blood pressure and diabetes. Outcomes were regressed on an index measuring Medicaid generosity, which captures the fraction of female‐identifying individuals who would be eligible for Medicaid based on state income eligibility thresholds, in each state and year.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsThe sample included all individuals aged 20‐44 with a first live birth in 2009‐2017.Principal FindingsAmong all first‐time parents, a 10‐percentage point (ppt) increase in Medicaid generosity was associated with a 0.7 ppt increase (P = 0.017) in any insurance coverage and a 1.5 ppt increase (P < 0.001) in Medicaid coverage in the month before pregnancy. We also observed significant increases in insurance coverage and early prenatal care and declines in stress from bills and unintended pregnancies among individuals with a high‐school degree or less.ConclusionsIncreasing Medicaid generosity for childless adults has the potential to improve insurance coverage in the critical period before pregnancy and help improve maternal outcomes among first‐time parents.     

Race,Medicaid Coverage,and Equity in Maternal Morbidity

BackgroundSevere maternal morbidity (SMM) affects 50,000 deliveries in the United States annually, with around 1.5 times the rates among Medicaid-covered relative to privately covered deliveries. Furthermore, large racial inequities exist in SMM for non-Hispanic Black women and Hispanic women with rates being 2.1 and 1.4 times higher than White women, respectively. This study aimed to compare the differences in SMM among women of different races/ethnicities and delivery insurance types. Quantifying the rates of SMM based on the intersection of race/ethnicity and insurance status can help to elucidate how multiple forms of oppression and racism may contribute to the substantial inequities in SMM among Black women.MethodsUsing hospital discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample (years 2016 and 2017), we conducted multivariate logistic models to evaluate equity in maternal outcomes among women with different primary payers, overall and stratified by race/ethnicity.ResultsWe found a rate of SMM equal to 138.3 per 10,000 deliveries. Differences in the rate of SMM among non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic women relative to White women were lower among Medicaid-covered deliveries relative to deliveries of all payer types. For example, among all payers, Black women had 2.17 (221.3 vs. 102.1 per 10,000) times the rate of SMM compared with White women; however, among Medicaid-covered deliveries, Black women had 1.84 (227.3 vs. 123.2) times the rate. Despite increased risk associated with Medicaid coverage (adjusted odds ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.07–1.16), the risk was no longer significant in the stratified regression including Black women (adjusted odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.98–1.15).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that Black women with Medicaid do not have higher rates of SMM relative to Black women with private insurance. National and state policy efforts should continue to focus on addressing structural racism and other socioeconomic drivers of adverse maternal outcomes, including barriers to high-quality care among women with Medicaid coverage.     

Medicaid Expansion’s Impact on Emergency Department Use by State and Payer

ObjectivesThe Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion Program influences healthcare use by increasing insurance coverage. Of particular interest is how this will affect inefficient and expensive emergency department (ED) visits. We estimated the impact of the Medicaid expansion on ED use by states and payer (Medicaid, private insurance, and uninsured) 5 years after the implementation of the Medicaid expansion and illustrated the use of the generalized synthetic control method.MethodsIn this quasi-experiment study, we implemented the generalized synthetic control method to compare states with Medicaid expansion and states without Medicaid expansion. Data were from the Healthcare Cost Utilization Project Fast Stats, which cover >95% of all ED visits. We included states with complete data from 2010 to 2018.ResultsOverall, the Medicaid expansion increased Medicaid share of ED visits (average treatment effect on the treated [ATT] 11.39%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.76-14.02) and decreased private share of ED visits (ATT ?5.80%; 95% CI ?7.40 to ?4.12) and uninsured share of ED visits (ATT ?6.66%; 95% CI ?9.78 to ?3.55).ConclusionsMedicaid Expansion Program shifted ED payer mix to Medicaid ED visits from private insurance and uninsured ED visits for adults at age of 19 to 64 years, whereas its effect on total ED volume is mixed among states. States that experienced the largest increase in Medicaid enrollment seem to experience an increase in ED visits although such results did not reach statistical significance.     

National trends in health insurance coverage of pregnant and reproductive-age women, 2000 to 2009

PurposeHealth insurance facilitates financial access to health services, including prenatal and preconception care. This study characterized changes in health insurance coverage among reproductive-age women in the United States from 2000 to 2009.MethodsData from female respondents (ages 18–49) to the National Health Interview Surveys, 2000 to 2009 (n = 207,968), including those pregnant when surveyed (n = 3,204), were used in a repeated cross-sectional design. Changes over time were estimated using longitudinal regression models.Main FindingsOf the reproductive-age women in this study, 25% were uninsured at some point in the prior year. Ten percent of pregnant women reported currently being uninsured, and 27% and 58% reported Medicaid coverage or private health insurance, respectively. Among women who were not pregnant, 19% were currently uninsured, 8% had Medicaid, and 68% had private coverage. From 2000 to 2009, an increasing percentage of reproductive-age women reported having gone without health insurance in the past year. Controlling for sociodemographic and health variables, the chances that a reproductive-age woman had been uninsured increased by approximately 1.5% annually (p < .001), and did not differ between pregnant women and those who were not pregnant. The odds that an insured pregnant woman had Medicaid coverage increased 7% per year over the study period (p < .001), whereas the odds of private coverage decreased.ConclusionReproductive-age women are increasingly at risk of being uninsured, which raises concerns about access to prenatal and preconception care. Among pregnant women, access to private health insurance has decreased, and state Medicaid programs have covered a growing percentage of women. Health reform will likely impact future trends.     

Completeness of a Maternal and Perinatal Mortality Enhanced Surveillance System in Pakistan: Evidence from Capture–Recapture Methods

Objectives An enhanced surveillance system that integrated health information systems and extended surveillance to previously uncovered areas to capture all births, perinatal and maternal deaths in a rural district of Pakistan was established in 2015, and this study uses capture–recapture methodology to assess completeness. Methods Births and deaths collected by the survey were matched with the data captured by the enhanced surveillance system. Capture–recapture methodology was used to estimate the total number of births and deaths, measure the degree of underestimation, and adjust mortality rates. Results Of all births, 99% were captured by the enhanced surveillance system. Ninety percent of neonatal deaths and 86% of early neonatal deaths were recorded. The recorded neonatal mortality rate was 40 per 1000 live births (95% CI 35–44), and after adjustment for under-enumeration was 42 per 1000 live births (95% CI 37–46). Recorded rates underestimated neonatal mortality by 5% and perinatal mortality by 7%. Five stillbirths were recorded by the survey and all were matched to recorded stillbirths. The one maternal death recorded by the survey was matched with the maternal death captured by the enhanced surveillance system. The maternal mortality ratio prior to adjustment for under-enumeration was 247 per 100,000 live births (95% CI 147–391), whereas after adjustment it was 246 per 100,000 live births (95% CI 146–389). Conclusion Application of capture–recapture methods to the enhanced surveillance system indicated a high completeness of birth and death recording by the surveillance system.