Prompt access to outpatient care post-incarceration among adults with a history of substance use: Predisposing, enabling, and need-based factors.

INTRODUCTION: As expanded Medicaid coverage reduces financial barriers to receiving health care among formerly incarcerated adults, more information is needed to understand the factors that predict prompt use of health care after release among insured adults with a history of substance use. This study's aim was to estimate the associations between characteristics suggested by the Andersen behavioral model of health service use and measures of health care use during the immediate reentry period and in the presence of Medicaid coverage. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we linked individual-level data from multiple Wisconsin agencies. The sample included individuals aged 18-64 released from a Wisconsin State Correctional Facility between April 2014 and June 2017 to a community in the state who enrolled in Medicaid within one month of release and had a history of substance use. We grouped predictors of outpatient care into variable domains within the Andersen model: predisposing- individual socio-demographic characteristics; enabling characteristics including area-level socio-economic resources, area-level health care supply, and characteristics of the incarceration and release; and need-based- pre-release health conditions. We used a model selection algorithm to select a subset of variable domains and estimated the association between the variables in these domains and two outcomes: any outpatient visit within 30 days of release from a state correctional facility, and receipt of medication for opioid use disorder within 30 days of release. RESULTS: The size and sign of many of the estimated associations differed for our two outcomes. Race was associated with both outcomes, Black individuals being 12.1 p.p. (95 % CI, 8.7-15.4, P < .001) less likely than White individuals to have an outpatient visit within 30 days of release and 1.3 p.p. (95 % CI, 0.48-2.1, P = .002) less likely to receive MOUD within 30 days of release. Chronic pre-release health conditions were positively associated with the likelihood of post-release health care use. CONCLUSIONS: Conditional on health insurance coverage, meaningful differences in post-incarceration outpatient care use still exist across adults leaving prison with a history of substance use. These findings can help guide the development of care transition interventions including the prioritization of subgroups that may warrant particular attention.

Trends in Use of Medication to Treat Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 10 State Medicaid Programs.

Importance: Federal and state agencies granted temporary regulatory waivers to prevent disruptions in access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic, including expanding access to telehealth for MOUD. Little is known about changes in MOUD receipt and initiation among Medicaid enrollees during the pandemic. Objectives: To examine changes in receipt of any MOUD, initiation of MOUD (in-person vs telehealth), and the proportion of days covered (PDC) with MOUD after initiation from before to after declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Design, Setting, and Participants: This serial cross-sectional study included Medicaid enrollees aged 18 to 64 years in 10 states from May 2019 through December 2020. Analyses were conducted from January through March 2022. Exposures: Ten months before the COVID-19 PHE (May 2019 through February 2020) vs 10 months after the PHE was declared (March through December 2020). Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes included receipt of any MOUD and outpatient initiation of MOUD via prescriptions and office- or facility-based administrations. Secondary outcomes included in-person vs telehealth MOUD initiation and PDC with MOUD after initiation. Results: Among a total of 8 167 497 Medicaid enrollees before the PHE and 8 181 144 after the PHE, 58.6% were female in both periods and most enrollees were aged 21 to 34 years (40.1% before the PHE; 40.7% after the PHE). Monthly rates of MOUD initiation, representing 7% to 10% of all MOUD receipt, decreased immediately after the PHE primarily due to reductions in in-person initiations (from 231.3 per 100 000 enrollees in March 2020 to 171.8 per 100 000 enrollees in April 2020) that were partially offset by increases in telehealth initiations (from 5.6 per 100 000 enrollees in March 2020 to 21.1 per 100 000 enrollees in April 2020). Mean monthly PDC with MOUD in the 90 days after initiation decreased after the PHE (from 64.5% in March 2020 to 59.5% in September 2020). In adjusted analyses, there was no immediate change (odds ratio [OR], 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.01) or change in the trend (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 1.00-1.01) in the likelihood of receipt of any MOUD after the PHE compared with before the PHE. There was an immediate decrease in the likelihood of outpatient MOUD initiation (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.85-0.96) and no change in the trend in the likelihood of outpatient MOUD initiation (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-1.00) after the PHE compared with before the PHE. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of Medicaid enrollees, the likelihood of receipt of any MOUD was stable from May 2019 through December 2020 despite concerns about potential COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions in care. However, immediately after the PHE was declared, there was a reduction in overall MOUD initiations, including a reduction in in-person MOUD initiations that was only partially offset by increased use of telehealth.

Prevalence of Testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Among Medicaid Enrollees Treated With Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in 11 States, 2016-2019.

BACKGROUND: Limited information exists about testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among Medicaid enrollees after starting medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), despite guidelines recommending such testing. Our objectives were to estimate testing prevalence and trends for HIV, HBV, and HCV among Medicaid enrollees initiating MOUD and examine enrollee characteristics associated with testing. METHODS: We conducted a serial cross-sectional study of 505 440 initiations of MOUD from 2016 to 2019 among 361 537 Medicaid enrollees in 11 states. Measures of MOUD initiation; HIV, HBV, and HCV testing; comorbidities; and demographics were based on enrollment and claims data. Each state used Poisson regression to estimate associations between enrollee characteristics and testing prevalence within 90 days of MOUD initiation. We pooled state-level estimates to generate global estimates using random effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: From 2016 to 2019, testing increased from 20% to 25% for HIV, from 22% to 25% for HBV, from 24% to 27% for HCV, and from 15% to 19% for all 3 conditions. Adjusted rates of testing for all 3 conditions were lower among enrollees who were male (vs nonpregnant females), living in a rural area (vs urban area), and initiating methadone or naltrexone (vs buprenorphine). Associations between enrollee characteristics and testing varied across states. CONCLUSIONS: Among Medicaid enrollees in 11 US states who initiated medications for opioid use disorder, testing for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and all 3 conditions increased between 2016 and 2019 but the majority were not tested.

Association Between Assistance With Medicaid Enrollment and Use of Health Care After Incarceration Among Adults With a History of Substance Use.

Importance: The transition from prison to community is characterized by elevated morbidity and mortality, particularly owing to drug overdose. However, most formerly incarcerated adults with substance use disorders do not use any health care, including treatment for substance use disorders, during the initial months after incarceration. Objective: To evaluate whether a prerelease Medicaid enrollment assistance program is associated with increased health care use within 30 days after release from prison. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study included 16 307 adults aged 19 to 64 years with a history of substance use who were released from state prison between April 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections implemented prerelease Medicaid enrollment assistance in January 2015. Statistical analysis was performed from January 1 to August 31, 2021. Exposure: A statewide Medicaid prerelease enrollment assistance program. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was Medicaid-reimbursed health care, associated with substance use disorders and for any cause, within 30 days of prison release, including outpatient, emergency department, and inpatient care. Mean outcomes were compared for those released before and after implementation of prerelease Medicaid enrollment assistance using an intention-to-treat analysis and person-level data from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and Medicaid. Results: The sample included 16 307 individuals with 18 265 eligible releases (men accounted for 16 320 of 18 265 total releases, and 6213 of 18 265 releases were among Black individuals; mean [SD] age at release, 35.5 [10.7] years). The likelihood of outpatient care use within 30 days of release increased after implementation of enrollment assistance relative to baseline by 7.7 percentage points for any visit (95% CI, 6.4-8.9 percentage points; P < .001), by 0.7 percentage points for an opioid use disorder visit (95% CI, 0.4-1.0 percentage points; P < .001), by 1.0 percentage point for any substance use disorder visit (95% CI, 0.5-1.6 percentage points; P < .001), and by 0.4 percentage points for receipt of medication for opioid use disorder (95% CI, 0.2-0.6 percentage points; P < .001). There was no significant change in use of the emergency department (0.7 percentage points [95% CI, -0.15 to 1.4 percentage points]). The probability of an inpatient stay increased by 0.4 percentage points (95% CI, 0.03-0.7 percentage points; P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance: The results of this cohort study suggest that prerelease Medicaid enrollment assistance was associated with increased use of outpatient health care after incarceration and highlights the value of making this assistance universally available within correctional settings. More tailored interventions may be needed to increase the receipt of treatment for substance use disorders.

Expectations about availability of contraception and abortion at a hypothetical Catholic hospital: Rural-urban disparities among Wisconsin women.

OBJECTIVE: To examine rural-urban differences in reproductive-aged Wisconsin women's expectations for contraceptive and abortion care at a hypothetical Catholic hospital. STUDY DESIGN: Between October 2019 and April 2020, we fielded a 2-stage, cross-sectional survey to Wisconsin women aged 18 to 45, oversampling rural census tracts and rural counties served by Catholic sole community hospitals. We presented a vignette about a hypothetical Catholic-named hospital; among participants perceiving it as Catholic, we conducted multivariable analyses predicting expectations for contraceptive services (birth control pills, Depo-Provera, intrauterine device or implant, tubal ligation) and abortion in the case of serious fetal indications. RESULTS: The response rate was 37.6% for the screener and 83.4% for the survey (N = 675). Among respondents (N = 376) perceiving the hospital as Catholic, expecting the full range of contraceptive methods was more common among rural (70.9%) vs urban (46.7%) participants (adjusted odds ratio = 3.99, 95% confidence interval: 1.99-7.99). In adjusted models, odds of expecting each contraceptive method were at least 3 times greater among rural vs urban participants. About one-third expected provision of abortion for serious fetal indications, with no difference by rurality (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In Wisconsin, rural women were more likely than urban women to expect a hypothetical Catholic hospital to provide the full range of contraceptive methods as well as each method individually. Disparities were especially large for tubal ligation and long-acting reversible contraceptives-methods that other studies suggest are least-likely to be available in Catholic healthcare settings-which may indicate a mismatch between patients' expectations and service availability. IMPLICATIONS: Many reproductive-aged Wisconsin women-especially in rural areas-hold misperceptions about availability of reproductive care in Catholic hospitals. Policies mandating greater transparency in service restrictions and interventions enabling patients to make informed decisions about care may help connect patients to the care they need more quickly.

Racial disparities in use of non-emergency outpatient care by Medicaid-eligible adults after release from prison: Wisconsin, 2015-2017.

BACKGROUND: Black individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) are less likely to receive effective treatment and more likely to be incarcerated compared to White individuals. Despite this, research documenting racial disparities in healthcare use among people with SUD releasing from prison is limited. OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study are to: 1) assess racial disparities in Medicaid enrollment among individuals released from prison with a history of substance use; and 2) characterize racial disparities in outpatient service use, emergency department (ED) use, and receipt of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among those who do enroll in Medicaid. METHODS: This study included individuals with a history of substance use that were released from Wisconsin state correctional facilities from April 2015 through June 2017. Medicaid enrollment and claims data were analyzed to compare healthcare utilization 6 months post-release between individuals identifying as Black, White, or other races. The total sample included 15,621 prison releases among 14,400 unique persons with a history of substance abuse. RESULTS: Among the 15,621 prison releases, 10,836 (69.4%) were enrolled in Medicaid in the month of release. The proportion of prison releases among individuals of other races who enrolled in Medicaid (506/934, 54.2%) was significantly lower than the proportion among Black individuals (3679/5306, 69.3%) and White individuals (6651/9381, 70.9%). Among the subset of 7685 releases enrolled in Medicaid for 6 months post-release, 5040 (65.6%) had an outpatient visit within 6 months; 73.9% of White, 51.3% of Black, and 66.9% of other individuals. Relative to White individuals, Black individuals were 0.324 times less likely (P < 0.001) and individuals of other races were 0.591 times less likely (P = 0.004) to have an outpatient visit. Of the 7685 releases, 1016 (13.2%) had an ED visit within 6 months; 12.0% of White, 13.8% of Black and 25.1% of other individuals. Relative to White individuals, Black individuals were 1.23 times more likely (P = 0.019) and individuals of other races were 2.64 times more likely (P < 0.001) to have an ED visit. Black individuals were 0.100 times less likely (P < 0.001) and individuals of other races were 0.435 times less likely (P = 0.016) to receive MOUD post-release compared to White individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Black adults with a history of substance use are significantly less likely than White adults to use non-emergency outpatient services after release from incarceration. Improving equitable access to outpatient services is needed to reduce health disparities across racial groups.

Prevalence and experiences of Wisconsin women turned away from Catholic settings without receiving reproductive care.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate prevalence of being turned away from a Catholic healthcare setting without receiving desired reproductive care among Wisconsin women and to document firsthand accounts of these experiences. STUDY DESIGN: Between October 2019 and April 2020, we fielded a two-stage survey to Wisconsin women aged 18-45, oversampling rural census tracts and rural counties served by Catholic sole community hospitals. We present prevalence of ever being turned away from a Catholic hospital or clinic without receiving desired contraceptive or fertility care and document accounts of referrals, perceived barriers, and wait times to acquire services elsewhere. RESULTS: The screener response rate was 37.6% (N = 828) and the survey response rate was 83.4% (N = 675). While only 23 (2.0%) of Wisconsin women had ever been turned away from a Catholic hospital or clinic without receiving desired contraceptive or fertility care (95% confidence interval: 1.2%-3.5%), these experiences were more common among women in counties served by Catholic sole community hospitals (n = 9, 8.1% [4.0%-15.6%]) compared to women in other rural census tracts (n = 6, 2.8% [1.3%-6.2%]) and urban census tracts (n = 8, 1.5% [0.7%-3.2%]). Sixteen (69.6%) cited religious restrictions as a barrier to accessing care. Some women - especially those denied tubal ligation - experienced long delays in acquiring time-sensitive care elsewhere. CONCLUSIONS: About 1-in-12 women in Wisconsin rural counties served by Catholic sole community hospitals reported ever being turned away from a Catholic healthcare setting without receiving desired reproductive care. After tubal ligation denials in Catholic facilities, many women faced long wait times to receive care elsewhere. IMPLICATIONS: Wisconsin women in rural counties served by Catholic sole community hospitals were about three times more likely than urban women to have ever been turned away from a Catholic facility. As Catholic healthcare expands nationally, it will be increasingly important to better understand how healthcare prohibitions influence patients' lives.

Provision of Immediate Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives Before and After Wisconsin Medicaid's Payment Change.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to estimate the association between Medicaid unbundling of payment for long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) from the global delivery fee and immediate postpartum (IPP) LARC provision, in a state outside a select group of early-adopters. We also examine the potential moderating roles of hospital academic affiliation and Catholic status on the association between unbundling and IPP LARC provision. METHODS: We used a pre-post design to examine the association between unbundling and IPP LARC provision. We observed Medicaid-covered childbirth deliveries in Wisconsin hospitals between January 2016 and December 2017 (n = 45,200) in the State Inpatient Database from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. We conducted multivariate regressions using generalized linear mixed models. RESULTS: From 2016 to 2017, IPP LARC provision increased from 0.28% to 0.44% of deliveries (p = .003). In our adjusted model, IPP LARC provision was 1.55 times more likely in the post-period versus the pre-period (95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.13). Both before and after unbundling, IPP LARC provision was significantly more common in academic versus nonacademic settings and was exceedingly rare in Catholic institutions. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast with many early adopting states, in this later adopting state, Wisconsin Medicaid's unbundling of LARC from the global fee did not meaningfully change the rates of IPP LARC provision. These results indicate that delivery hospital characteristics are strong correlates of access to IPP LARC and suggest the need for interventions-perhaps outside of the inpatient setting-to ensure that patients can access desired contraceptive methods promptly postpartum.

Increasing Medicaid enrollment among formerly incarcerated adults.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incremental associations between the implementation of expanded Medicaid eligibility and prerelease Medicaid enrollment assistance on Medicaid enrollment for recently incarcerated adults. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Data include person-level merged, longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and the Wisconsin Medicaid program from 2013 to 2015. STUDY DESIGN: We use an interrupted time series design to estimate the association between each of two natural experiments and Medicaid enrollment for recently incarcerated adults. First, in April 2014 the Wisconsin Medicaid program expanded eligibility to include all adults with income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level. Second, in January 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections implemented prerelease Medicaid enrollment assistance at all state correctional facilities. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We collected Medicaid enrollment, and state prison administrative and risk assessment data for all nonelderly adults incarcerated by the state who were released between January 2013 and December 2015. The full sample includes 24 235 individuals. Adults with a history of substance use comprise our secondary sample. This sample includes 12 877 individuals. The primary study outcome is Medicaid enrollment within the month of release. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Medicaid enrollment in the month of release from state prison grew from 8 percent of adults at baseline to 36 percent after the eligibility expansion (P-value < .01) and to 61 percent (P-value < .01) after the introduction of enrollment assistance. Results were similar for adults with a history of substance use. Black adults were 3.5 percentage points more likely to be enrolled in Medicaid in the month of release than White adults (P-value < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid eligibility and prerelease enrollment assistance are associated with increased Medicaid enrollment upon release from prison. States should consider these two policies as potential tools for improving access to timely health care as individuals transition from prison to community.

Promoting Safe Injection Practices, Substance Use Reduction, Hepatitis C Testing, and Overdose Prevention Among Syringe Service Program Clients Using a Computer-Tailored Intervention: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Syringe service programs (SSPs) are safe, highly effective programs for promoting health among people who inject drugs. However, resource limitations prevent the delivery of a full package of prevention services to many clients in need. Computer-tailored interventions may represent a promising approach for providing prevention information to people who inject drugs in resource-constrained settings. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to assess the effect of a computer-tailored behavioral intervention, called Hep-Net, on safe injection practices, substance use reduction, overdose prevention, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing among SSP clients. METHODS: Using a social network-based recruitment strategy, we recruited clients of an established SSP in Wisconsin and peers from their social networks. Participants completed a computerized baseline survey and were then randomly assigned to receive the Hep-Net intervention. Components of the intervention included an overall risk synthesis, participants' selection of a behavioral goal, and an individualized risk reduction exercise. Individuals were followed up 3 months later to assess their behavior change. The effect of Hep-Net on receiving an HCV screening test, undergoing Narcan training, reducing the frequency of drug use, and sharing drug equipment was assessed. The individual's readiness to change each behavior was also examined. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2015, a total of 235 people who injected drugs enrolled into the Hep-Net study. Of these, 64.3% (151/235) completed the follow-up survey 3-6 months postenrollment. Compared with the control group, individuals who received the Hep-Net intervention were more likely to undergo HCV testing (odds ratio [OR] 2.23, 95% CI 1.05-4.74; P=.04) and receive Narcan training (OR 2.25, 95% CI 0.83-6.06; P=.11), and they shared drug equipment less frequently (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.55-0.65; P<.001). Similarly, individuals who received the intervention were more likely to advance in their stage of readiness to change these 3 behaviors. However, intervention participants did not appear to reduce the frequency of drug use or increase their readiness to reduce drug use more than control participants, despite the fact that the majority of the intervention participants selected this as the primary goal to focus on after participation in the baseline survey. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing computer-based risk reduction interventions in SSPs may reduce harms associated with the sharing of injection equipment and prevent overdose deaths; however, brief computerized interventions may not be robust enough to overcome the challenges associated with reducing and ceasing drug use when implemented in settings centered on the delivery of prevention services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02474043; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02474043. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR1-10.2196/resprot.4830.

Implementing parity for mental health and substance use treatment in Medicaid.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between the implementation of parity in coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (MHSUD) services within the Medicaid program and MHSUD service use. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Wisconsin Medicaid enrollment and claims data from 2013 to 2015. In April 2014, Wisconsin Medicaid transitioned childless adult beneficiaries from coverage with limited MHSUD services to parity-consistent coverage. Preparity, they only had Medicaid coverage for MHSUD visits to psychiatrists and the emergency department, while parent beneficiaries had parity-consistent coverage. STUDY DESIGN: The study uses a difference-in-differences design to compare outcome changes for childless adult and parent beneficiaries. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We identified 76, 569 childless adult and parent beneficiaries aged 18-64 who were continuously enrolled for the 2-year study period. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Introducing parity-consistent coverage within Medicaid was associated with increased utilization of Medicaid-reimbursed MHSUD services: outpatient, prescription medication, ED, and inpatient. Increased MHSUD outpatient visits were driven by increased visits to nonpsychiatrists. CONCLUSIONS: Parity's effects on MHSUD service use have been studied in the context of private insurance, but its impact among Medicaid beneficiaries has not. Our findings suggest that parity implementation in Medicaid could increase access to effective MHSUD services in a high-need population.

Low-Income Childless Adults' Access To Antidiabetic Drugs In Wisconsin Medicaid After Coverage Expansion.

Medicaid coverage was expanded for childless adults in Wisconsin through an amended Section 1115 demonstration waiver on April 1, 2014. Coverage for prescription drugs was expanded via copayment reductions and a drug formulary expansion. We analyzed administrative drug claims data to evaluate changes in the use of and out-of-pocket spending on antidiabetic drugs among childless adults who experienced the drug coverage expansion. Compared to parents or caretakers, who were not affected by the expansion, childless adults experienced a significant increase of 4 percent in the use of antidiabetic drugs-driven mainly by an increase in the population using the drugs, rather than by more intense use. The expanded drug coverage also reduced the burden of out-of-pocket spending for childless adults by 70 percent. Our findings demonstrate that expanding prescription drug benefits led to increased access to antidiabetic drugs for childless adults in Wisconsin Medicaid.

Long-Term Impact of a Postdischarge Community Health Worker Intervention on Health Care Costs in a Safety-Net System.

OBJECTIVE: Patient navigators (PNs) may represent a cost-effective strategy to improve transitional care and reduce hospital readmissions. We evaluated the impact of a PN intervention on health system costs in the 180 days after discharge for high-risk patients in a safety-net system. DATA SOURCE/SETTING: Primary and secondary data from an academic safety-net health system. STUDY DESIGN: We compared per-patient utilization and costs, overall and by age, for high-risk, medical service patients randomized to the PN intervention relative to usual care between October 2011 and April 2013. Intervention patients received hospital visits and telephone outreach from PNs for 30 days after every qualifying discharge. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We used administrative and electronic encounter data, and a survey of nurses; costs were imputed from the Medicare fee schedule. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Total costs per patient over the 180 days postindex discharge for those aged ≥60 years were significantly lower for PN patients compared to controls ($5,676 vs. $7,640, p = .03); differences for patients aged <60 ($9,942 vs. $9,046, p = .58) or for the entire cohort ($7,092 vs. $7,953, p = .27) were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Patient navigator interventions may be useful strategies for specific groups of patients in safety-net systems to improve transitional care while containing costs.

Medicaid Expansion And State Trends In Supplemental Security Income Program Participation.

The Affordable Care Act made low-income nonelderly adults eligible for Medicaid in 2014 without requiring them to obtain disabled status through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. In states that participated in the Medicaid expansion, we found that SSI participation decreased by about 3 percent after 2014.

Impact of a Patient Navigator Program on Hospital-Based and Outpatient Utilization Over 180 Days in a Safety-Net Health System.

BACKGROUND: With emerging global payment structures, medical systems need to understand longer-term impacts of care transition strategies. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a care transition program using patient navigators (PNs) on health service utilization among high-risk safety-net patients over a 180-day period. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial conducted October 2011 through April 2013. PARTICIPANTS: Patients admitted to the general medicine service with ≥1 readmission risk factor: (1) age ≥ 60; (2) in-network inpatient admission within prior 6 months; (3) index length of stay ≥ 3 days; or (4) admission diagnosis of heart failure or (5) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The analytic sample included 739 intervention patients, 1182 controls. INTERVENTIONS: Through hospital visits and 30 days of post-discharge telephone outreach, PNs provided coaching and assistance with medications, appointments, transportation, communication with primary care, and self-care. MAIN MEASURES: Primary outcomes: (1) hospital-based utilization, a composite of ED visits and hospital admissions; (2) hospital admissions; (3) ED visits; and (4) outpatient visits. We evaluated outcomes following an index discharge, stratified by patient age (≥ 60 and < 60 years), using a 180-day time frame divided into six 30-day periods. KEY RESULTS: The PN program produced starkly different outcomes by patient age. Among older PN patients, hospital-based utilization was consistently lower than controls, producing an 18.7% cumulative decrease at 180 days (p = 0.038); outpatient visits increased in the critical first 30-day period (p = 0.006). Among younger PN patients, hospital-based utilization was 31.7% (p = 0.038) higher at 180 days, largely reflecting sharply higher utilization in the initial 30 days (p = 0.002), with non-significant changes thereafter; outpatient visits experienced no significant changes. CONCLUSIONS: A PN program serving high-risk safety-net patients differentially impacted patients based on age, and among younger patients, outcomes varied over time. Our findings highlight the importance for future research to evaluate care transition programs among different subpopulations and over longer time periods.

The Effects of the Transition From Medicaid to Medicare on Health Care Use for Adults With Mental Illness.

BACKGROUND: The transition from Medicaid-only to dual Medicare/Medicaid coverage has the potential to reduce financial barriers to health care for patients with serious mental illness through increased coverage or expanded access to clinicians as their reimbursement increases. AIMS: To estimate the effect of dual coverage after Medicaid enrollment during the required waiting period among adults with serious mental illness on health care use, overall and related to mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD). METHODS: Data include enrollment and claims from Medicaid and Medicare in Missouri and South Carolina, from January 2004 to December 2007. We used an interrupted time-series design to estimate the effect of dual coverage on average use of outpatient, emergency department (ED), and inpatient care/month. RESULTS: After 12 months of dual coverage, the probability of outpatient care use increased in both states from 4% to 9%. In Missouri, the mean probability and frequency of ED visits, total and MHSUD related, increased by 21%-32%; the probability of all-cause and MHSUD-related inpatient admissions increased by 10% and 19%, respectively. In South Carolina, the mean probability of any inpatient admission increased by 27% and of any MHSUD-related inpatient admission by 42%. DISCUSSION: The increase in use of outpatient care is consistent with the expected increase in coverage of, and payment for, outpatient services under dual coverage relative to Medicaid-only. Sustained increases in ED and inpatient admissions raise questions regarding the complexity of obtaining care under 2 programs, pent-up demand among beneficiaries pretransition, and the complementarity of outpatient and inpatient service use.

The Effects of the Affordable Care Act Adult Dependent Coverage Expansion on Mental Health.

BACKGROUND: In September 2010, the Affordable Care Act increased the availability of private health insurance for young adult dependents in the United States and prohibited coverage exclusions for their pre-existing conditions. The coverage expansion improved young adults' financial protection from medical expenses and increased their mental health care use. These short-term effects signal the possibility of accompanying changes in mental health through one or more mechanisms: treatment-induced symptom relief or improved function; improved well-being and/or reduced anxiety as financial security increases; or declines in self-reported mental health if treatment results in the discovery of illnesses. AIMS: In this study, we estimate the effects of this insurance coverage expansion on young adults' mental health outcomes one year after its implementation. METHODS: We use a difference-in-differences (DD) framework to estimate the effects of the ACA young adult dependent coverage on mental health outcomes for adults ages 23-25 relative to adults ages 27-29 from 2007-2011. Outcome measures include a global measure of self-rated mental health, the SF-12 mental component summary (MCS), the PHQ-2 screen for depression, and the Kessler index for non-specific psychological distress. RESULTS: The overall pattern of findings suggests that both age groups experienced modest improvements in a range of outcomes that captured both positive and negative mental health following the 2010 implementation of the coverage expansion. The notable exception to this pattern is a 1.4 point relative increase in the SF-12 MCS score among young adults alone, a measure that captures emotional well-being, mental health symptoms (positive and negative), and social role functioning. DISCUSSION: This study provides the first estimates of a broad range of mental health outcomes that may be responsive to changes in mental health care use and/or the increased financial security that insurance confers. For the population as a whole, there were few short-term changes in young adults' mental health outcome relative to older adults. However, the relative increase in the SF-12 score among young adults, while small, is likely meaningful at a population level given the observed effect sizes for this measure obtained in clinical trials. IMPLICATIONS: The vast majority of mental illnesses emerge before individuals reach age 24. Public policy designed to expand health insurance coverage to this population has the potential to influence mental health in a relatively short time frame.

State discretion over Medicaid coverage for mental health and addiction services.

Approximately one-third of adults who enroll in Medicaid because of a disability have a serious mental illness. Arguably, this population stands to benefit from insurance coverage that complies with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). The MHPAEA and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) do not guarantee such coverage for this beneficiary group; however, they provide a variety of mechanisms by which states may provide parity-compliant coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment. This column explains key interactions between the MHPAEA, the ACA, and the Medicaid program that permit states to determine whether and how to provide parity-consistent coverage to beneficiaries with disabilities.

A Patient Navigator Intervention to Reduce Hospital Readmissions among High-Risk Safety-Net Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based interventions to reduce hospital readmissions may not generalize to resource-constrained safety-net hospitals. OBJECTIVE: To determine if an intervention by patient navigators (PNs), hospital-based Community Health Workers, reduces readmissions among high risk, low socioeconomic status patients. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: General medicine inpatients having at least one of the following readmission risk factors: (1) age ≥60 years, (2) any in-network inpatient admission within the past 6 months, (3) length of stay ≥3 days, (4) admission diagnosis of heart failure, or (5) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The analytic sample included 585 intervention patients and 925 controls. INTERVENTIONS: PNs provided coaching and assistance in navigating the transition from hospital to home through hospital visits and weekly telephone outreach, supporting patients for 30 days post-discharge with discharge preparation, medication management, scheduling of follow-up appointments, communication with primary care, and symptom management. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was in-network 30-day hospital readmissions. Secondary outcomes included rates of outpatient follow-up. We evaluated outcomes for the entire cohort and stratified by patient age >60 years (425 intervention/584 controls) and ≤60 years (160 intervention/341 controls). KEY RESULTS: Overall, 30-day readmission rates did not differ between intervention and control patients. However, the two age groups demonstrated marked differences. Intervention patients >60 years showed a statistically significant adjusted absolute 4.1% decrease [95% CI: -8.0%, -0.2%] in readmission with an increase in 30-day outpatient follow-up. Intervention patients ≤60 years showed a statistically significant adjusted absolute 11.8% increase [95% CI: 4.4%, 19.0%] in readmission with no change in 30-day outpatient follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A patient navigator intervention among high risk, safety-net patients decreased readmission among older patients while increasing readmissions among younger patients. Care transition strategies should be evaluated among diverse populations, and younger high risk patients may require novel strategies.

The effects of expanding public insurance to rural low-income childless adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study measures the change in health care use after enrollment into a new public insurance program for low-income childless adults. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: The data sources include claims from a large integrated health system in rural Wisconsin and Medicaid enrollment files, January 2007-September 2012. STUDY DESIGN: We employ a regression discontinuity design to measure the causal effect of public insurance enrollment on counts of outpatient, emergency department, and inpatient events for 2 years following enrollment for a sample of previously uninsured low-income adults in rural Wisconsin. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Public insurance enrollment led to substantial increases in outpatient visits including preventive visits, but not mental health visits. Public insurance enrollment also led to increases in inpatient stays, but the study is inconclusive on whether it led to an increase in ED visits. CONCLUSIONS: Public insurance expansions to childless adults have the potential to impact the use of health care. The large increase in Medicaid coverage and reduction in rates of uninsurance anticipated to result from the Affordable Care Act should increase the use of inpatient and outpatient services, but they will have an uncertain impact on the use of ED among rural populations.