Evaluating algorithms for identifying incident Guillain-Barré Syndrome in Medicare fee-for-service claims.

Objective: Claims data can be leveraged to study rare diseases such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a neurological autoimmune condition. It is difficult to accurately measure and distinguish true cases of disease with claims without a validated algorithm. Our objective was to identify the best-performing algorithm for identifying incident GBS cases in Medicare fee-for-service claims data using chart reviews as the gold standard. Study design and setting: This was a multi-center, single institution cohort study from 2015 to 2019 that used Medicare-linked electronic health record (EHR) data. We identified 211 patients with a GBS diagnosis code in any position of an inpatient or outpatient claim in Medicare that also had a record of GBS in their electronic medical record. We reported the positive predictive value (PPV = number of true GBS cases/total number of GBS cases identified by the algorithm) for each algorithm tested. We also tested algorithms using several prevalence assumptions for false negative GBS cases and calculated a ranked sum for each algorithm's performance. Results: We found that 40 patients out of 211 had a true case of GBS. Algorithm 17, a GBS diagnosis in the primary position of an inpatient claim and a diagnostic procedure within 45 days of the inpatient admission date, had the highest PPV (PPV = 81.6%, 95% CI (69.3, 93.9). Across three prevalence assumptions, Algorithm 15, a GBS diagnosis in the primary position of an inpatient claim, was favored (PPV = 79.5%, 95% CI (67.6, 91.5). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that patients with incident GBS can be accurately identified in Medicare claims with a chart-validated algorithm. Using large-scale administrative data to study GBS offers significant advantages over case reports and patient repositories with self-reported data, and may be a potential strategy for the study of other rare diseases.

Concordance in Medical Urgency Classification of Discharge Diagnoses and Reasons for Visit.

Importance: Current policies to divert emergency department (ED) visits for less medically urgent conditions to more cost-effective settings rely on retrospective adjudication of discharge diagnoses. However, patients present to the ED with concerns, making it challenging for clinicians. Objective: To characterize ED visits based on the medical urgency of the presenting reasons for visit and to explore the concordance between discharge diagnoses and reasons for visit. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, a nationwide sample of ED visits by adults (aged ≥18 years) in the US from the 2018 and 2019 calendar years' ED data of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey was used. An algorithm to probabilistically assign ED visits into medical urgency categories based on the presenting reason for visit was developed. A 3-step, look-back method was applied using an updated version of the New York University ED algorithm, and a map of all possible discharge diagnoses to the same reasons for visit was developed. Analyses were conducted in July and August 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was probabilistic medical urgency classification of reasons for visits and discharge diagnoses and their concordance. Results: We analyzed 27 068 ED visits (mean age, 48.2% years [95% CI, 47.5%-48.9% years]) representing 190.7 million visits nationwide. Women (mean, 57.0% [95% CI, 55.9%-58.1%]) and patients with public health insurance coverage, including Medicare (mean, 24.9% [95% CI, 21.9%-28.0%]) and Medicaid (mean, 25.1% [95% CI, 21.0%-29.2%]), accounted for the largest share of ED visits, and a mean of 13.2% (95% CI, 11.4%-15.0%) of all visits resulted in a hospital admission. Overall, about 38.5% and 53.9% of all ED visits were classified with 100% and 75% probabilities, respectively, as injury related, emergency care needed, emergent but primary care treatable, nonemergent, or mental health or substance use disorders related based on discharge diagnosis compared with 0.4% and 12.4%, respectively, of all encounters based on patients' reason for visit. Among discharge diagnoses assigned with high certainty to only 1 urgency category using the New York University ED algorithm, between 38.0% (95% CI, 36.3%-39.6%) and 57.4% (95% CI, 56.0%-58.8%) aligned with the probabilistic categorical assignments of their corresponding reasons for visit. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of 190.7 million ED visits among adults aged 18 years or older, a smaller percentage of reasons for visit could be prospectively categorized with high accuracy to a specific medical urgency category compared with all visits based on discharge diagnoses, and a limited concordance between reasons for visit and discharge diagnoses was found. Alternative methods are needed to identify the medical necessity of ED encounters more accurately.

Determinants of Persistent, Multi-Year, Frequent Emergency Department Use Among Children and Young Adults in Three US States.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the factors associated with persistent, multi-year, and frequent emergency department (ED) use among children and young adults. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective secondary analysis using the 2012-2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Emergency Department Databases for children and young adults aged 0-19 who visited any ED in Florida, Massachusetts, and New York. We estimated the association between persistent frequent ED use and individuals' characteristics using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 1.3 million patients with 1.8 million ED visits in 2012, 2.9% (37,558) exhibited frequent ED use (≥4 visits in 2012) and accounted for 10.2% (181,138) of all ED visits. Longitudinal follow-up of frequent ED users indicated that 15.4% (5770) remained frequent users periodically over the next 1 or 2 years, while 2.2% (831) exhibited persistent frequent use over the next 3-5 years. Over the 6-year study period, persistent frequent users had 31,551 ED visits at an average of 38.0 (standard deviation = 16.2) visits. Persistent frequent ED use was associated with higher intensity of ED use in 2012, public health insurance coverage, inconsistent health insurance coverage over time, residence in non-metropolitan and lower-income areas, multimorbidity, and more ED visits for less medically urgent conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians and policymakers should consider the diverse characteristics and needs of pediatric persistent frequent ED users compared to broader definitions of frequent users when designing and implementing interventions to improve health outcomes and contain ED visit costs.

What the Evolution of 1332 Waivers Tells Us about Their Innovative Potential.

Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides states unprecedented flexibility to alter federal health policy. The authors analyze state waiver activity from 2019 to 2023, applying a comparative approach to understand waivers proposed by Georgia, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. Much of the waiver activity during this period focused on reinsurance programs. During the Trump administration, the most innovative waiver application was from Georgia, which sought to restructure and decentralize its individual market, moving away from the framework established by the ACA. While the Biden administration suspended Georgia's efforts, Democratic-led states have focused implementing waiver programs supporting and expanding on the ACA. This has included adopting public-option insurance plans offered by private insurers and expanding eligibility for qualified health plans for previously ineligible groups. The authors' analysis offers insights into contemporary health politics, policy durability, and the role of the administrative presidency.

Hospital Performance Under Alternative Readmission Measures Incorporating Observation Stays.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which counting observation stays changes hospital performance on 30-day readmission measures. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of inpatient admissions and observation stays among fee-for-service Medicare enrollees in 2017. We generated 3 specifications of 30-day risk-standardized readmissions measures: the hospital-wide readmission (HWR) measure utilized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which captures inpatient readmissions within 30 days of inpatient discharge; an expanded HWR measure, which captures any unplanned hospitalization (inpatient admission or observation stay) within 30 days of inpatient discharge; an all-hospitalization readmission (AHR) measure, which captures any unplanned hospitalization following any hospital discharge (observation stays are included in both the numerator and denominator of the measure). Estimated excess readmissions for hospitals were compared across the 3 measures. High performers were defined as those with a lower-than-expected number of readmissions whereas low performers had higher-than-expected or excess readmissions. Multivariable logistic regression identified hospital characteristics associated with worse performance under the measures that included observation stays. RESULTS: Our sample had 2586 hospitals with 5,749,779 hospitalizations. Observation stays ranged from 0% to 41.7% of total hospitalizations. Mean (SD) readmission rates were 16.6% (5.4) for the HWR, 18.5% (5.7) for the expanded HWR, and 17.9% (5.7) in the all-hospitalization readmission measure. Approximately 1 in 7 hospitals (14.9%) would switch from being classified as a high performer to a low performer or vice-versa if observation stays were fully included in the calculation of readmission rates. Safety-net hospitals and those with a higher propensity to use observation would perform significantly worse. CONCLUSIONS: Fully incorporating observation stays in readmission measures would substantially change performance in value-based programs for safety-net hospitals and hospitals with high rates of observation stays.

Association of Medicaid expansion with dental emergency department visits overall and by states' Medicaid dental benefits provision.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the association of Medicaid expansion with dental emergency department (ED) utilization is limited, while even less is known on policy-related changes in dental ED visits by Medicaid programs' dental benefits generosity. The objective of this study was to estimate the association of Medicaid expansion with changes in dental ED visits overall and by states' benefits generosity. METHODS: We used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Fast Stats Database from 2010 to 2015 for non-elderly adults (19 to 64 years of age) across 23 States, 11 of which expanded Medicaid in January 2014 while 12 did not. Difference-in-differences regression models were used to estimate changes in dental-related ED visits overall and further stratified by states' dental benefit coverage in Medicaid between expansion and non-expansion States. RESULTS: After 2014, dental ED visits declined by 10.9 [95% confidence intervals (CI): -18.5 to -3.4] visits per 100,000 population quarterly in states that expanded Medicaid compared to non-expansion states. However, the overall decline was concentrated in Medicaid expansion states with dental benefits. In particular, among expansion states, dental ED visits per 100,000 population declined by 11.4 visits (95% CI: -17.9 to -4.9) quarterly in states with dental benefits in Medicaid compared to states with emergency-only or no dental benefits. Significant differences between non-expansion states by Medicaid's dental benefits generosity were not observed [6.3 visits (95% CI: -22.3 to 34.9)]. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the need to strengthen public health insurance programs with more generous dental benefits to curtail costly dental ED visits.

Changes in Performance Measures and Service Volume at US Federally Qualified Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Importance: Stay-at-home orders, site closures, staffing shortages, and competing COVID-19 testing and treatment needs all potentially decreased primary care access and quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges may have especially affected federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which serve patients with low income nationwide. Objective: To examine changes in FQHCs' quality-of-care measures and visit volumes in 2020 to 2021 vs prepandemic. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used a census of US FQHCs to calculate changes in outcomes between 2016 and 2021 using generalized estimating equations. Main Outcomes and Measures: Twelve quality-of-care measures and 41 visit types based on diagnoses and services rendered, measured at the FQHC-year level. Results: A total of 1037 FQHCs were included, representing 26.6 million patients (63% 18-64 years old; 56% female) in 2021. Despite upward trajectories for most measures prepandemic, the percentage of patients served by FQHCs receiving recommended care or achieving recommended clinical thresholds showed a statistically significant decrease between 2019 and 2020 for 10 of 12 quality measures. For example, declines were observed for cervical cancer screening (-3.8 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI, -4.3 to -3.2 pp), depression screening (-7.0 pp; 95% CI, -8.0 to -5.9 pp), and blood pressure control in patients with hypertension (-6.5 pp; 95% CI, -7.0 to -6.0 pp). By 2021, only 1 of these 10 measures returned to 2019 levels. From 2019 to 2020, 28 of 41 visit types showed a statistically significant decrease, including immunizations (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.76; 95% CI, 0.73-0.78), oral examinations (IRR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.59-0.63), and supervision of infant or child health (IRR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.85-0.89); 11 of these 28 visits approximated or exceeded prepandemic rates by 2021, while 17 remained below prepandemic rates. Five visit types increased in 2020, including substance use disorder (IRR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11), depression (IRR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09), and anxiety (IRR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.14-1.19); all 5 continued to increase in 2021. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of US FQHCs, nearly all quality measures declined during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with most declines persisting through 2021. Similarly, most visit types declined in 2020; 60% of these remained below prepandemic levels in 2021. By contrast, mental health and substance use visits increased in both years. The pandemic led to forgone care and likely exacerbated behavioral health needs. As such, FQHCs need sustained federal funding to expand service capacity, staffing, and patient outreach. Quality reporting and value-based care models must also adapt to the pandemic's influence on quality measures.

Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program and the rise in observation stays.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) is associated with increased observation stay use. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: A nationally representative sample of fee-for-service Medicare claims, January 2009-September 2016. STUDY DESIGN: Using a difference-in-difference (DID) design, we modeled changes in observation stays as a proportion of total hospitalizations, separately comparing the initial (acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, heart failure) and subsequent (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) target conditions with a control group of nontarget conditions. Each model used 3 time periods: baseline (15 months before program announcement), an intervening period between announcement and implementation, and a 2-year post-implementation period, with specific dates defined by HRRP policies. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We derived a 20% random sample of all hospitalizations for beneficiaries continuously enrolled for 12 months before hospitalization (N = 7,162,189). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Observation stays increased similarly for the initial HRRP target and nontarget conditions in the intervening period (0.01% points per month [95% CI -0.01, 0.3]). Post-implementation, observation stays increased significantly more for target versus nontarget conditions, but the difference is quite small (0.02% points per month [95% CI 0.002, 0.04]). Results for the COPD analysis were statistically insignificant in both policy periods. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in observation stays is likely due to other factors, including audit activity and clinical advances.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Hospital-Based Care Among Dual Eligibles Who Use Health Centers.

Introduction: Health center use may reduce hospital-based care among Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles, but racial and ethnic disparities in this population have not been widely studied. We examined the extent of racial and ethnic disparities in hospital-based care among duals using health centers and the degree to which disparities occur within or between health centers. Methods: We used 2012-2018 Medicare claims and health center data to model emergency department (ED) visits, observation stays, hospitalizations, and 30-day unplanned returns as a function of race and ethnicity among dual eligibles using health centers. Results: In rural and urban counties, age-eligible Black individuals had more ED visits (7.9 [4.0, 11.7] and 13.7 [10.0, 17.4] per 100 person-years) and were more likely to experience an unplanned return (1.4 [0.4, 2.4] and 1 [0.4, 1.6] percentage points [pp]) than White individuals, but were less likely to be hospitalized (-3.3 [-3.9, -2.8] and -1.2 [-1.6, -0.9] pp). In urban counties, age-eligible Black individuals were 1.2 [0.9, 1.5] pp more likely than White individuals to have observation stays. Other racial and ethnic groups used the same or less hospital-based care than White individuals. Including state and health center fixed effects eliminated Black versus White disparities in all outcomes, except hospitalization. Results were similar among disability-eligible duals. Conclusion: Racial and ethnic disparities in hospital-based care among dual eligibles are less common within than between health centers. If health centers are to play a more central role in eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities, these differences across health centers must be understood and addressed.

The Paradoxical Politics of Community Health Centers from the Great Society to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

CONTEXT: Although community health centers (CHCs) arose in the 1960s as part of a Democratic policy push committed to social justice, subsequent support has been shaped by paradoxical politics wherein Republican and Democratic support for CHCs continually morphed in response to changes in the health policy landscape. METHODS: Drawing on the CHC literature and empirical examples from firsthand accounts and reporting, this article explains CHCs' curious historical development from 1965 to the present. FINDINGS: Both Republicans and Democrats have calibrated their support for CHCs in response to a broader set of political considerations, from antiwelfare policy commitments to aspirations of establishing a national health care plan. CONCLUSIONS: CHCs have proven to be a politically malleable policy tool within the broader context of American health care policy. The COVID-19 pandemic raised new questions about CHCs' sustainability and future, but CHCs will continue to play a critical role in providing health care access to underserved populations. They also will continue to be an attractive bipartisan policy option within the larger framework of US health policy.

Primary care patterns among dual eligibles with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

BACKGROUND: Primary care is essential for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Prior research suggests that the propensity to provide high-quality, continuous primary care varies by provider setting, but the settings used by Medicare-Medicaid dual-eligibles with ADRD have not been described at the population level. METHODS: Using 2012-2018 Medicare data, we identified dual-eligibles with ADRD. For each person-year, we identified primary care visits occurring in six settings. We calculated descriptive statistics for beneficiaries with a majority of visits in each setting, and conducted a k-means cluster analysis to determine utilization patterns, using the standardized count of primary care visits in each setting. RESULTS: Each year from 2012 to 2018, at least 45.6% of dual-eligibles with ADRD received a majority of their primary care in nursing facilities, while at least 25.2% did so in physician offices. Over time, the share relying on nursing facilities for primary care decreased by 5.2 percentage points, offset by growth in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and miscellaneous settings (2.3 percentage points each). Dual-eligibles relying on nursing facilities had more annual primary care visits (16.1) than those relying on other settings (range: 6.8-10.7 visits). Interpersonal care continuity was also higher in nursing facilities (97.0%) and physician offices (87.9%) than in FQHCs (54.2%), rural health clinics (RHCs, 46.6%), or hospital-based clinics (56.8%). Among dual-eligibles without care continuity, 82.7% were assigned to a cluster with few primary care visits. CONCLUSIONS: A trend toward care in different settings likely reflects improved access to patient-centered primary care. Low rates of interpersonal care continuity in FQHCs, RHCs, and physician offices may warrant concern, unless providers in these settings function as a care team. Nonetheless, every healthcare system encounter presents an opportunity to designate a primary care provider for dual-eligibles with ADRD who use little or no primary care.

Review of appendicitis: routine, complicated, and mimics.

Appendicitis is one of the most common sources of abdominal pain in the emergency setting and is generally considered a straightforward diagnosis. However, atypical appearances, non-visualization, and inconclusive features can make these cases more complicated. The objectives of this article are to review the differential diagnoses for right lower quadrant pain, discuss the imaging characteristics of simple appendicitis on computed tomography (CT), and provide guidance for equivocal cases, complicated appendicitis, and appendicitis mimics. This review will also discuss the identification and management of neoplasms of the appendix.

Characterizing the Uptake of Newly Opened Health Centers by Individuals Dually Enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid.

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) increasingly provide high-quality, cost-effective primary care to individuals dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. However, not everyone can access an FQHC. We used 2012 to 2018 Medicare claims and federally collected FQHC data to examine communities where an FQHC first opened and determine which dual eligibles used it. Overall uptake was 10%, ranging from 6.6% among age-eligible urban residents to 14.8% among disability-eligible rural residents. Community-level uptake ranged from 0% to 76.4% (median = 5.5%; interquartile range = 2.8%-11.3%). Certain subpopulations of dual eligibles are significantly more likely to use FQHCs. Our findings should inform the targeting of future FQHC expansions.

Accounting for the Growth of Observation Stays in the Assessment of Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

Importance: Decreases in 30-day readmissions following the implementation of the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) have occurred against the backdrop of increasing hospital observation stay use, yet observation stays are not captured in readmission measures. Objective: To examine whether the HRRP was associated with decreases in 30-day readmissions after accounting for observation stays. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study included a 20% sample of inpatient admissions and observation stays among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2015. Data analysis was performed from November 2021 to June 2022. A differences-in-differences analysis assessed changes in 30-day readmissions after the announcement of the HRRP and implementation of penalties for target conditions (heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia) vs nontarget conditions under scenarios that excluded and included observation stays. Main Outcomes and Measures: Thirty-day inpatient admissions and observation stays. Results: The study included 8 944 295 hospitalizations (mean [SD] age, 78.7 [8.2] years; 58.6% were female; 1.3% Asian; 10.0% Black; 2.0% Hispanic; 0.5% North American Native; 85.0% White; and 1.2% other or unknown). Observation stays increased from 2.3% to 4.4% (91.3% relative increase) of index hospitalizations among target conditions and 14.1% to 21.3% (51.1% relative increase) of index hospitalizations for nontarget conditions. Readmission rates decreased significantly after the announcement of the HRRP and returned to baseline by the time penalties were implemented for both target and nontarget conditions regardless of whether observation stays were included. When only inpatient hospitalizations were counted, decreasing readmissions accrued into a -1.48 percentage point (95% CI, -1.65 to -1.31 percentage points) absolute reduction in readmission rates by the postpenalty period for target conditions and -1.13 percentage point (95% CI, -1.30 to -0.96 percentage points) absolute reduction in readmission rates by the postpenalty period for nontarget conditions. This reduction corresponded to a statistically significant differential change of -0.35 percentage points (95% CI, -0.59 to -0.11 percentage points). Accounting for observation stays more than halved the absolute decrease in readmission rates for target conditions (-0.66 percentage points; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.49 percentage points). Nontarget conditions showed an overall greater decrease during the same period (-0.76 percentage points; 95% CI, -0.92 to -0.59 percentage points), corresponding to a differential change in readmission rates of 0.10 percentage points (95% CI, -0.14 to 0.33 percentage points) that was not statistically significant. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this study suggest that the reduction of readmissions associated with the implementation of the HRRP was smaller than originally reported. More than half of the decrease in readmissions for target conditions appears to be attributable to the reclassification of inpatient admission to observation stays.

The association between primary care use and potentially-preventable hospitalization among dual eligibles age 65 and over.

BACKGROUND: Individuals dually-enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles) are disproportionately sicker, have higher health care costs, and are hospitalized more often for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) than other Medicare beneficiaries. Primary care may reduce ACSC hospitalizations, but this has not been well studied among dual eligibles. We examined the relationship between primary care and ACSC hospitalization among dual eligibles age 65 and older. METHODS: In this observational study, we used 100% Medicare claims data for dual eligibles ages 65 and over from 2012 to 2018 to estimate the likelihood of ACSC hospitalization as a function of primary care visits and other factors. We used linear probability models stratified by rurality, with subgroup analyses for dual eligibles with diabetes or congestive heart failure. RESULTS: Each additional primary care visit was associated with an 0.05 and 0.09 percentage point decrease in the probability of ACSC hospitalization among urban (95% CI: - 0.059, - 0.044) and rural (95% CI: - 0.10, - 0.08) dual eligibles, respectively. Among dual eligibles with CHF, the relationship was even stronger with decreases of 0.09 percentage points (95% CI: - 0.10, - 0.08) and 0.15 percentage points (95% CI: - 0.17, - 0.13) among urban and rural residents, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Increased primary care use is associated with lower rates of preventable hospitalizations for dual eligibles age 65 and older, especially for dual eligibles with diabetes and congestive heart failure. In turn, efforts to reduce preventable hospitalizations for this dual-eligible population should consider how to increase access to and use of primary care.

Health center use and hospital-based care among individuals dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, 2012-2018.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between federally qualified health center (FQHC) use and hospital-based care among individuals dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. DATA SOURCES: Data were obtained from 2012 to 2018 Medicare claims. STUDY DESIGN: We modeled hospital-based care as a function of FQHC use, person-level factors, a Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) indicator, and ZIP code fixed effects. Outcomes included emergency department (ED) visits (overall and nonemergent), observation stays, hospitalizations (overall and for ambulatory care sensitive conditions), and 30-day unplanned returns. We stratified all models on the basis of eligibility and rurality. DATA EXTRACTION METHODS: Our sample included individuals dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid for at least two full consecutive years, residing in a primary care service area with an FQHC. We excluded individuals without primary care visits, who died, or had end-stage renal disease. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: After the Medicare PPS was introduced, FQHC use in rural counties was associated with fewer ED and nonemergent ED visits per 100 person-years among both age-eligible (-14.8 [-17.5, -12.1]; -6.6 [-7.5, -5.6]) and disability-eligible duals (-11.3 [-14.4, -8.3]; -6 [-7.4, -4.6]) as well as a lower probability of observation stays (-0.8 pp age-eligible; -0.4 pp disability-eligible) and unplanned returns (-2.1 pp age-eligible; -1.9 pp disability-eligible). In urban counties, FQHC use was associated with more ED and nonemergent ED visits per 100 person-years (10.6 [8.4, 12.8]; 4.0 [2.6, 5.4]) among disability-eligible duals (a decrease of more than 60% compared with the pre-PPS period) and increases in the probability of hospitalization (1.1 pp age-eligible; 0.8 pp disability-eligible) and ACS hospitalization (0.5 pp age-eligible; 0.3 pp disability-eligible) (a decrease of roughly 50% compared with the pre-PPS period). CONCLUSIONS: FQHC use is associated with reductions in hospital-based care among dual enrollees after introduction of the Medicare PPS. Further research is needed to understand how FQHCs can tailor care to best serve this complex population.

Food Insecurity Is Prevalent in Iowa's Medicaid Expansion Population.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity has been identified as an important social determinant of health and is associated with many health issues prevalent in Medicaid members. Despite this, little research has been done around food insecurity within Medicaid populations. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of household food insecurity and identify factors associated with experiencing food insecurity in Iowa's Medicaid expansion population. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey between March and May of 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Our sample was drawn from Medicaid members enrolled in Iowa's expansion program at least 14 months, stratified by Federal Poverty Level (FPL) category. Members who did not have valid contact information were excluded. We selected one individual per household to reduce the interrelatedness of responses. We sampled 6,000 individuals and had 1,349 respondents in the analytic sample. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Our main outcome was whether a respondent's household experienced food insecurity in the previous year, using the Hunger Vital Sign screening tool. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: We weighted responses to account for the sampling design and differential nonresponse between strata. We estimated the prevalence of food insecurity and used logistic regression to model food insecurity as a function of demographic (age, FPL category, gender, employment, education, race, rurality, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP] participation) and health-related (self-rated health, self-rated oral health, health literacy) factors. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of experiencing food insecurity was 51.3%. Race, gender, education, employment, health literacy, and self-rated health were all significantly associated with food insecurity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that food insecurity is prevalent in Iowa's Medicaid expansion population. Food insecurity should be more widely measured as a critical social determinant of health in Medicaid populations. Policymakers and clinicians should consider interventions that connect households experiencing food insecurity to food resources (eg, produce prescriptions and food pantry referrals) and policies that increase food access. ABBREVIATIONS: Iowa Wellness Plan (IWP); Federal Poverty Level (FPL); Healthy Behavior Program (HBP); Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Comparing health care use and costs among new Medicaid enrollees before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To characterize health care use and costs among new Medicaid enrollees before and during the COVID pandemic. Results can help Medicaid non-expansion states understand health care use and costs of new enrollees in a period of enrollment growth. RESEARCH DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of North Carolina Medicaid claims data (January 1, 2018 - August 31, 2020). We used modified Poisson and ordinary least squares regression analysis to estimate health care use and costs as a function of personal characteristics and enrollment during COVID. Using data on existing enrollees before and during COVID, we projected the extent to which changes in outcomes among new enrollees during COVID were pandemic-related. SUBJECTS: 340,782 new enrollees pre-COVID (January 2018 - December 2019) and 56,428 new enrollees during COVID (March 2020 - June 2020). MEASURES: We observed new enrollees for 60-days after enrollment to identify emergency department (ED) visits, nonemergent ED visits, primary care visits, potentially-avoidable hospitalizations, dental visits, and health care costs. RESULTS: New Medicaid enrollees during COVID were less likely to have an ED visit (-46 % [95 % CI: -48 %, -43 %]), nonemergent ED visit (-52 % [95 % CI: -56 %, -48 %]), potentially-avoidable hospitalization (-52 % [95 % CI: -60 %, -43 %]), primary care visit (-34 % [95 % CI: -36 %, -33 %]), or dental visit (-36 % [95 % CI: -41 %, -30 %]). They were also less likely to incur any health care costs (-29 % [95 % CI: -30 %, -28 %]), and their total costs were 8 % lower [95 % CI: -12 %, -4 %]. Depending on the outcome, COVID explained between 34 % and 100 % of these reductions. CONCLUSIONS: New Medicaid enrollees during COVID used significantly less care than new enrollees pre-COVID. Most of the reduction stems from pandemic-related changes in supply and demand, but the profile of new enrollees before versus during COVID also differed.

Association Of Unemployment With Medicaid Enrollment By Social Vulnerability In North Carolina During COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an unemployment crisis in the US that surpassed the Great Recession of 2007-09 within the first three months of the pandemic. This article builds on the limited early evidence of the relationship between the pandemic and health insurance coverage, using county-level unemployment and Medicaid enrollment data from North Carolina, a large state that did not expand Medicaid. We used linear and county fixed effects models to assess this relationship, accounting for county-level social vulnerability, physical and virtual access to Medicaid enrollment, and COVID-19 case burden. Using data from January 2018 through August 2020, we estimated that the passthrough rate-the share of unemployed people who gained Medicaid coverage-was approximately 15 percent statewide but higher in more socially vulnerable counties. This low passthrough rate during a period of increased unemployment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic means that Medicaid was unable to completely fulfill its countercyclical role, in which it grows to meet greater need during periods of widespread economic hardship, because of North Carolina's stringent Medicaid eligibility criteria. Working toward greater adoption of Medicaid expansion may help ensure that the US is better prepared for the next crisis by ensuring access to health insurance coverage.