Dementia's Unique Burden: Function and Health Care in the Last 4 Years of Life.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a terminal illness marked by progressive cognitive decline. This study characterized trajectories of functional status and health care use for people with and without dementia at the end of their life. METHODS: We used the Health and Retirement Study linked with Medicare claims to generate a series of generalized linear models. Models predicted functional status and health care use for decedents with and without dementia during each month in the last 4 years of life (48 months). RESULTS: People with dementia have high, sustained functional impairments during the entire last 4 years of life. People with dementia have the same predicted average activities of daily living score (1.92) at 17 months before death (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.857, 1.989) as individuals without dementia at 6 months before death (95% CI: 1.842, 1.991). Dementia was associated with significantly less hospice during the final 3 months of life, with a 12.5% (95% CI: 11.046, 13.906) likelihood of hospice in the last month of life with dementia versus 17.3% (95% CI: 15.573, 18.982) without dementia. Dementia was also associated with less durable medical equipment (p < .001), less home health care (p < .005), and fewer office visits (p < .001). There were not significant differences in likelihood of hospitalization in the last 48 months with or without dementia. CONCLUSIONS: People with dementia can functionally appear to be at end of life (EOL) for years before their death. Simultaneously, they receive less health care, particularly home health and hospice, in their last months. Models of care that target people with dementia should consider the unique and sustained burden of dementia at EOL.

Rates of nursing home closures were relatively stable over the past decade, but warrant continuous monitoring.

For years, nursing home closures have been a concern for the industry, policymakers, consumer advocates, and other stakeholders. We analyzed data from 2011 through 2021 and did not find persistent increases in the closure rates. Closures were relatively stable from 2011 to 2017, averaging 118 facilities (0.79%) per year and increasing to 143 (0.96%) in 2018 and 200 (1.34%) in 2019. Closures decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, averaging 133 facilities in 2020 and 2021 (0.90%). Medicaid-only nursing facilities had higher closure rates than Medicare-only skilled-nursing facilities and dually certified nursing homes. The Census regions (divisions) of the South (West South Central) and Northeast (New England) had the highest closure rates, while the South (South Atlantic and East South Central) had the lowest rates. Facility characteristics associated with increased closure risk included smaller size, lower occupancy rate, urban location, no ownership changes, lower inspection survey ratings, higher staffing ratings, higher percentages of non-White residents and Medicaid residents, lower percentages of Medicare residents and residents with severe acuity, and location in states with more nursing home alternatives. Additional research should examine the impact of closures on resident outcomes and access to care.

Impacts of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Demonstration on Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations.

OBJECTIVE: The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration is designed to increase access to comprehensive ambulatory care and crisis services, which may reduce emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. This study examined whether the demonstration had an impact on ED visits and hospitalizations in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. METHODS: This difference-in-differences analysis used Medicaid claims data from 2015 to 2019 to examine service use during a 12-month baseline period and the first 24 months of the demonstration for beneficiaries who received care from CCBHCs and beneficiaries who received care from other behavioral health clinics in the same state, representing care as usual. Propensity score methods were used to develop treatment and comparison groups with similar characteristics. RESULTS: In Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, beneficiaries who received care from CCBHCs had a statistically significant reduction in the average number of behavioral health ED visits, relative to the comparison group (13% and 11% reductions, respectively); no impact on ED visits in Missouri was observed. The demonstration was associated with a statistically significant reduction in all-cause hospitalizations in Oklahoma, when the analysis used a 2-year rather than a 1-year baseline period, and also in Pennsylvania, when hospitalizations were truncated at the 98th percentile to exclude beneficiaries with outlier hospitalization rates. CONCLUSIONS: The CCBHC demonstration reduced behavioral health ED visits in two states, and the study also revealed some evidence of reductions in hospitalizations.

Emergency department interventions for opioid use disorder: A synthesis of emerging models.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid overdose deaths are increasing, and improving access to evidence-based treatment is necessary. Emergency department (ED) initiation of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) via medications and referral to treatment is one approach that leverages a critical health care entry point for individuals with OUD. Efforts to engage patients in treatment through the ED are growing, but systematic analysis of program features as implemented and challenges across different models remains limited. Lessons from early adopter programs may benefit clinicians and others looking to offer ED-initiated treatment for OUD. METHODS: We conducted case studies of five ED-based efforts to address OUD across the United States, selected for diversity in structure, approach, and geography. We conducted telephone interviews with 37 individuals (ED physicians, ED nurses, navigators, hospital administrators, community providers, and state policymakers) affiliated with the five programs. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a framework analysis approach, identifying relevant lessons for replication. RESULTS: These five programs (an academic medical center, two large urban hospitals, a rural community hospital, and a community-based program) successfully implemented ED-initiated MOUD. Often a champion with knowledge of OUD treatment and a reliable connection with outpatient treatment began the program. The approach to patient identification varied from universal screening to relying on patient self-identification. Substance use treatment navigators provide crucial services but can be difficult to pay for within current reimbursement frameworks. Barriers to implementation include lack of knowledge about treatment options and effectiveness, stigma, community treatment capacity limits, and health insurance and reimbursement policies. Facilitators of success include taking a patient-centered, low-barrier approach, having a passionate champion, a strong structure with health system support, and a relationship with community partners. Metrics for success vary across programs. Some programs are expanding to include treating the use of other substances such as alcohol and stimulants. CONCLUSION: ED-initiated MOUD is feasible across different settings. Research and real world efforts need to promote programs that include OUD treatment as standard in ED treatment.

Effects of Medicaid expansion on insurance coverage and health services use among adults with disabilities newly eligible for Medicaid.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effects of Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion on insurance and health services use for adults with disabilities who were newly eligible for Medicaid. DATA SOURCES: 2008-2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. STUDY DESIGN: We used the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) PUBSIM model to identify adults aged 26-64 years with disabilities who were newly Medicaid-eligible in expansion states or would have been eligible in non-expansion states had those states opted to expand. Outcomes included insurance coverage; access to care; receipt of primary care, outpatient specialty physician services, and preventive services; and out-of-pocket health care spending. To estimate the effects of Medicaid expansion, we used two-way fixed effects models and a triple differences framework to compare pre-post changes in each outcome in expansion and non-expansion states for adults with and without disabilities. EXTRACTION METHODS: We simulated Medicaid eligibility with the AHRQ PUBSIM model, which uses state-specific Medicaid rules and MEPS data on family relationships, state of residence, and income. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Among adults with disabilities who were newly eligible for Medicaid, Medicaid expansion was associated with significant increases in full-year Medicaid coverage (35.9 percentage points [pp], p < 0.001), receipt of primary care (15.5 pp, p < 0.01), and receipt of flu shots (19.2 pp, p < 0.01), and a significant decrease in out-of-pocket spending (-$457, p < 0.01). There were larger improvements for adults with disabilities compared to those without disabilities in full-year Medicaid coverage (11.0 pp, p < 0.01) and receipt of flu shots (18.0 pp, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid expansion was associated with improvements in full-year insurance coverage, receipt of primary and preventive care, and out-of-pocket spending for adults with disabilities who were newly eligible for Medicaid. For insurance coverage, preventive care, and some primary care measures, there were differentially larger improvements for adults with disabilities than for those without disabilities.

Residential treatment and medication treatment for opioid use disorder: The role of state Medicaid innovations in advancing the field.

Background: Mortality due to opioid use continues to increase; effective strategies to improve access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) are needed. While OUD medications exist, they are used infrequently and often not available in residential addiction treatment settings. CMS provides expanded opportunities for Medicaid reimbursement of treatment in residential facilities and requires states that request Medicaid SUD Waivers to provide a full continuum of care including medication treatment. The objective of this study was to assess how states facilitate access to OUD medications in residential settings and whether Medicaid requirements play a role. Methods: Using a legal mapping framework, across the 50 states and DC, we abstracted data from state regulations in 2019 - 2020 and Medicaid Section 1115(a) demonstration applications. We examined the temporal relationship between state regulations regarding medication-assisted treatment for OUD in residential settings and Section 1115(a) demonstrations. Results: We identified variation in regulations regarding medication treatment for OUD in residential settings and possible spillover effects of the CMS requirements for Medicaid SUD Waivers. In 18 states with relevant regulations, regulatory approaches include identifying opioid medication treatment as a right, requiring access to OUD medication treatment, and establishing other requirements. 25 of 30 states with approved Section 1115(a) demonstrations included explicit requirements for OUD medication treatment access. Four states updated OUD medication treatment regulations for residential treatment settings within a year of applying for a Section 1115(a) demonstration. Conclusions: State regulations and Medicaid program requirements are policy levers to facilitate OUD medication treatment access.

Emergency department-based efforts to offer medication treatment for opioid use disorder: What can we learn from current approaches?

BACKGROUND: The opioid epidemic remains a public health crisis and most people with opioid use disorder (OUD) do not receive effective treatment. The emergency department (ED) can be a critical entry point for treatment. EDs are developing and implementing ED-based efforts to address OUD to improve access to OUD treatment. This study's objective is to identify features of ED-based OUD treatment programs that relate to program implementation, effectiveness, and sustainability. METHODS: We obtained data through literature review and semistructured interviews with ED physicians and leaders. The study analyzed these data to develop a framework of key components of ED-based efforts and highlight barriers and facilitators to implementation and program effectiveness. RESULTS: We identify five key features of ED-based opioid treatment programs that vary across programs and may influence effectiveness and impact: patient identification methods; treatment approaches; program structure; relationship with community partners; and financing and sustainability. Successful implementation of ED-based OUD treatment includes having a champion, a reliable referral network, and systematic tracking and reporting of data for monitoring and feedback. CONCLUSION: Going forward, attention to these features may help to improve effectiveness. As researchers conduct studies of ED-based care models, they should assess the impact of variation in key features to improve program effectiveness.

Home Health And Postacute Care Use In Medicare Advantage And Traditional Medicare.

This article compares patterns of postacute care-including care provided by skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and home health agencies-under Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare. Overall, Medicare Advantage enrollees received less postacute care, both institutional and home health, than traditional Medicare enrollees did for three common conditions.

Home Health Use In Medicare Advantage Compared To Use In Traditional Medicare.

Medicare covers home health benefits for homebound beneficiaries who need intermittent skilled care. While home health care can help prevent costlier institutional care, some studies have suggested that traditional Medicare beneficiaries may overuse home health care. This study compared home health use in Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare, as well as within Medicare Advantage by beneficiary cost sharing, prior authorization requirement, and plan type. In 2016 Medicare Advantage enrollees were less likely to use home health care than traditional Medicare enrollees were, had 7.1 fewer days per home health spell, and were less likely to be admitted to the hospital during their spell. Among Medicare Advantage plans, those that imposed beneficiary cost sharing or prior authorization requirements had lower rates of home health use. Qualitative interviews suggested that Medicare Advantage payment and contracting approaches influenced home health care use. Therefore, changes in traditional Medicare home health payment policies implemented in 2020 may reduce these disparities in home health use and spell length.

Increasing Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment: Assessing State Policies and the Evidence Behind Them.

OBJECTIVE: Combatting the opioid epidemic requires systemic policy changes that address the underutilization of medication-assisted treatment, a therapy that is effective in treating opioid use disorder. In this study, we present approaches used in five states to increase medication-assisted treatment financing and access. METHOD: We conducted case studies in five U.S. states, interviewing key informants and reviewing the published literature and unpublished documents. RESULTS: In these states, Medicaid expansion was the most significant lever available to expand financing and access to medication-assisted treatment. Other key levers include Medicaid Section 1115 SUD demonstrations, State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis and State Opioid Response grants, state contracting mechanisms, and other state regulations. CONCLUSIONS: States in this study reported substantial progress in increasing access to medication-assisted treatment, but empirical evidence of their effects is still emerging.