Effect of Medicaid expansion on inflammatory bowel disease and healthcare utilization.

BACKGROUND: Kentucky was among the first to adopt Medicaid expansion, resulting in reducing uninsured rates from 14.3% to 6.4%. We hypothesize that Medicaid expansion resulted in increased elective healthcare utilization and reductions in emergency treatments by patients suffering Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). METHODS: The Hospital Inpatient Discharge and Outpatient Services Database (HIDOSD) identified all encounters related to IBD from 2009 to 2020 in Kentucky. Several demographic variables were compared in pre- and post-Medicaid expansion adoption. RESULTS: Our study analyzed 3386 pre-expansion and 24,255 post-expansion encounters for IBD patients. Results showed that hospitalization rates dropped (47.7%-8.4%), outpatient visits increased (52.3%-91.6%) and Emergency visits decreased (36.7%-11.4%). Admission following a clinical referral similarly increased with a corresponding drop in emergency room admissions. Hospital costs and lengths of stay also dropped following Medicaid expansion. CONCLUSION: In the IBD population, Medicaid expansion improved access to preventative care, reduced hospital costs by decreasing emergency care, and increased elective care pathways.

Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Providing Equitable Healthcare Access for IBD in the Kentucky Appalachian Region.

BACKGROUND: Medicaid expansion improved insurance coverage for patients with chronic conditions and low income. The effect of Medicaid expansion on patients with IBD from high-poverty communities is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Medicaid expansion in Kentucky on care for patients with IBD from the Eastern Kentucky Appalachian community, a historically impoverished area. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective, descriptive, and ecological study. SETTINGS: This study was conducted in Kentucky using the Hospital Inpatient Discharge and Outpatient Services Database. PATIENTS: All encounters for IBD care for 2009-2020 for patients from the Eastern Kentucky Appalachian region were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes measured were proportions of inpatient and emergency encounters, total hospital charge, and hospital length of stay. RESULTS: Eight hundred twenty-five preexpansion and 5726 postexpansion encounters were identified. Postexpansion demonstrated decreases in the uninsured (9.2%-1.0%; p < 0.001), inpatient encounters (42.7%-8.1%; p < 0.001), emergency admissions (36.7%-12.3%; p < 0.001), admissions from the emergency department (8.0%-0.2%; p < 0.001), median total hospital charge ($7080-$3260; p < 0.001), and median total hospital length of stay (4-3 days; p < 0.001). Similarly, postexpansion demonstrated increases in Medicaid coverage (18.8%-27.7%; p < 0.001), outpatient encounters (57.3%-91.9%; p < 0.001), elective admissions (46.9%-76.2%; p < 0.001), admissions from the clinic (78.4%-90.2%; p < 0.001), and discharges to home (43.8%-88.2%; p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: This study is subject to the limitations inherent in being retrospective and using a partially de-identified database. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to demonstrate the changes in trends in care after Medicaid expansion for patients with IBD in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, especially Appalachian Kentucky, showing significantly increased outpatient care utilization, reduced emergency department encounters, and decreased length of stays. IMPACTO DE LA LEY DEL CUIDADO DE SALUD A BAJO PRECIO EN LA PROVISIN DE ACCESO EQUITATIVO A LA ATENCIN MDICA PARA LA ENFERMEDAD INFLAMATORIA INTESTINAL EN LA REGIN DE LOS APALACHES DE KENTUCKY: ANTECEDENTES: La expansión de Medicaid mejoró la cobertura de seguro para pacientes con enfermedades crónicas y bajos ingresos. Se desconoce el efecto de la expansión de Medicaid en pacientes con enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal de comunidades de alta pobreza.OBJETIVO: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el impacto de la expansión de Medicaid en Kentucky en la atención de pacientes con enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal de la comunidad de los Apalaches del este de Kentucky, un área históricamente empobrecida.DISEÑO: Este estudio fue un estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo, ecológico.ESCENARIO: Este estudio se realizó en Kentucky utilizando la base de datos de servicios ambulatorios y de alta hospitalaria en pacientes hospitalizados.PACIENTES: Se incluyeron todos los encuentros para la atención de la enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal de 2009-2020 para pacientes de la región de los Apalaches del este de Kentucky.MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO PRINCIPALES: Los resultados primarios medidos fueron proporciones de encuentros de pacientes hospitalizados y de emergencia, cargo hospitalario total y duración de la estancia hospitalaria.RESULTADOS: Se identificaron 825 encuentros previos a la expansión y 5726 posteriores a la expansión. La posexpansión demostró disminuciones en los no asegurados (9.2% a 1.0%, p < 0.001), encuentros de pacientes hospitalizados (42.7% a 8.1%, p < 0.001), admisiones de emergencia (36.7% a 12.3%, p < 0,001), admisiones desde el servicio de urgencias (8.0% a 0.2%, p < 0.001), la mediana de los gastos hospitalarios totales ($7080 a $3260, p < 0.001) y la mediana de la estancia hospitalaria total (4 a 3 días, p < 0.001). De manera similar, la cobertura de Medicaid (18.8% a 27.7%, p < 0.001), consultas ambulatorias (57.3% a 91.9%, p < 0.001), admisiones electivas (46.9% a 76.2%, p < 0.001), admisiones desde la clínica (78.4% al 90.2%, p < 0.001), y las altas domiciliarias (43.8% al 88.2%, p < 0.001) aumentaron después de la expansión.LIMITACIONES: Este estudio está sujeto a las limitaciones inherentes de ser retrospectivo y utilizar una base de datos parcialmente desidentificada.CONCLUSIONES: Este estudio es el primero en demostrar los cambios en las tendencias en la atención después de la expansión de Medicaid para pacientes con enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal en el Estado de Kentucky, especialmente en los Apalaches de Kentucky, mostrando un aumento significativo en la utilización de la atención ambulatoria, visitas reducidas al departamento de emergencias y menor duración de la estancia hospitalaria. (Traducción-Dr. Jorge Silva Velazco ).

Surgical Site Infections in Colorectal Resections: What is the Cost?

INTRODUCTION: Although surgical site infections (SSIs) associated with colectomy are tracked by the National Healthcare Safety Network/Center for Disease Control, untracked codes, mainly related to patients undergoing proctectomy, are not. These untracked codes are performed less often yet they may be at a greater risk of SSI due to their greater complexity. Determining the impact and predictors of SSI are critical in the development of quality improvement initiatives. METHODS: Following an institutional review board approval, National Surgery Quality Improvement Program, institutional National Surgery Quality Improvement Program, and financial databases were queried for tracked colorectal resections and untracked colorectal resections (UCR). National data were obtained for January 2019-December 2019, and local procedures were identified between January 2013 and December 2019. Data were analyzed for preoperative SSI predictors, operative characteristics, outcomes, and 30-day postdischarge costs (30dPDC). RESULTS: Nationally, 71,705 colorectal resections were identified, and institutionally, 2233 patients were identified. UCR accounted for 7.9% nationally and 11.8% of all colorectal resections institutionally. Tracked colorectal resection patients had a higher incidence of SSI predictors including sepsis, hypoalbuminemia, coagulopathy, hypertension, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class. UCR patients had a higher rate of SSIs [12.9% (P < 0.001), 15.2% (P = 0.064)], readmission, and unplanned return to the operating room. Index hospitalization and 30dPDC were significantly higher in patients experiencing an SSI. CONCLUSIONS: SSI was associated with nearly a two-fold increase in index hospitalization costs and six-fold in 30dPDC. These data suggest opportunities to improve hospitalization costs and outcomes for patients undergoing UCR through protocols for SSI reduction and preventing readmissions.

Age and Medicare Insurance are Barriers to Telemedicine Access-A Quality Improvement Project.

BACKGROUND: Telehealth use has had widespread expansion and adoption over the past two years. This study aims to evaluate access to telehealth essentials (TE) using a novel metric. METHODS: This single institute study surveyed outpatient surgical patients to determine their access to TE. Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the relationship of demographic and county-level variables on access to four TE. RESULTS: 138 patients were surveyed. Sixty-six (47.8%) were from Appalachian Kentucky. In the survey cohort, 122 (88.4%) had smart phones, 109 (80.7%) had devices with video messaging capabilities, 106 (80.9%) had cellular reception, and 112 (82.4%) had access to WiFi. Increasing age and Medicare insurance were the most consistent predictors of lack of access to TE. CONCLUSION: Rural Appalachian Kentucky has access to TE. Telehealth has the potential to decrease the healthcare inequity in rural populations, but incompletely address this inequity for the aging population.

Impact of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion on Reimbursement in Emergency General Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Kentucky had one of the nation's largest increases in insurance coverage with the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Medicaid expansion, quadrupling the proportion of Kentuckians with insurance coverage. This study compares reimbursement rates for surgical procedures performed by emergency general surgery (EGS) services at the University of Kentucky (UK) before and after Medicaid expansion in January 2014. METHODS: This IRB-approved, single-institution study retrospectively evaluated all patients undergoing surgical treatment by our EGS team from 1/1/2011 to 12/31/2016. We queried operative records for the most frequently performed procedures by the EGS service. We reviewed patient electronic medical records and hospital financial records to identify insurance status, diagnosis codes, and expected hospital reimbursements, based on UK Hospital's procedure/payer accounting models. RESULTS: Four thousand six hundred ninety-three patient procedures met inclusion criteria; 46.5% of these came before ACA expansion and 53.5% after expansion. The most frequent procedures performed were incision and drainage, laparoscopic appendectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and exploratory laparotomy. After ACA expansion, the proportion of patients with Medicaid nearly doubled (19.8% vs. 35.6%, p < 0.001). Concomitantly, there was a more than fivefold decrease in the uninsured patient population after expansion (23.3% vs. 4.6%, p < 0.001), and mean hospital reimbursement increased for laparoscopic appendectomy (13.7%, p < 0.001), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (50.7%, p < 0.001), and incision and drainage (70.2%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: After ACA expansion, there was a sustained decrease in proportion of uninsured patients and a concomitant sustained increase in proportion of patients with access to Medicaid services in the EGS operative population, leading to increased mean hospital reimbursements and decreased patient financial burden.

Factors Contributing to Delay in Specialist Care After Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis in Kentucky.

BACKGROUND: Abundant studies have associated colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment delay with advanced diagnosis and worse mortality. Delay in seeking specialist is a contributor to CRC treatment delay. The goal of this study is to investigate contributing factors to 14-d delay from diagnosis of CRC on colonoscopy to the first specialist visit in the state of Kentucky. METHODS: The Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR) database linked with health administrative claims data was queried to include adult patients diagnosed with stage I-IV CRC from January 2007 to December 2012. The dates of the last colonoscopy and the first specialist visit were identified through the claims. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with delay to CRC specialist visit. RESULTS: A total of 3927 patients from 100 hospitals in Kentucky were included. Approximately, 19% of patients with CRC visited a specialist more than 14 d after CRC detection on colonoscopy. Delay to specialist (DTS) was found more likely in patients with Medicaid insurance (OR 3.1, P < 0.0001), low and moderate education level (OR 1.4 and 1.3, respectively, P = 0.0127), and stage I CRC (OR 1.5, P < 0.0001). There was a higher percentage of delay to specialist among Medicaid patients (44.0%) than Medicare (18.0%) and privately insured patients (18.8%). CONCLUSIONS: We identified Medicaid insurance, low education attainment, and early stage CRC diagnosis as independent risk factors associated with 14-d delay in seeking specialist care after CRC detection on colonoscopy.

Preoperative opioid, sedative, and antidepressant use is associated with increased postoperative hospital costs in colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Opioid (OPD), sedative (SDT), and antidepressant (ADM) prescribing has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. This study evaluated preoperative OPD, SDT, and ADM use on hospital costs in patients undergoing colorectal resection at a single institution. METHODS: This study was a retrospective record review. The local ACS-NSQIP database was queried for adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) undergoing open/laparoscopic, partial/total colectomy, or proctectomy from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2016. Individual patient medical records were reviewed to determine preoperative OPD, SDT, and AD use. Hospital cost data from index admission were captured by the hospital cost accounting system and matched to NSQIP query-identified cases. All ACS-NSQIP categorical patient characteristic, operative risk, and outcome variables were compared in medication groups using chi-square tests or Fisher's exact tests, and continuous variables were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: A total of 1185 colorectal procedures were performed by 30 different surgeons. Of these, 27.6% patients took OPD, 18.5% SDT, and 27.8% ADM preoperatively. Patients taking OPD, SDT, and ADM were found to have increased mean total hospital costs (MTHC) compared to non-users (30.8 vs 23.6 for OPD, 31.6 vs 24.4 for SDT, and 30.7 vs 23.8 for ADM). OPD and SDT use were identified as independent risk factors for increased MTHC on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: Preoperative OPD and SDT use can be used to predict increased MTHC in patients undergoing colorectal resections.

Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Colorectal Cancer Screening, Incidence, and Survival in Kentucky.

BACKGROUND: Kentucky ranks first in the US in cancer incidence and mortality. Compounded by high poverty levels and a high rate of medically uninsured, cancer rates are even worse in Appalachian Kentucky. Being one of the first states to adopt the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion, insurance coverage markedly increased for Kentucky residents. The purpose of our study was to determine the impact of Medicaid expansion on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, diagnosis, and survival in Kentucky. STUDY DESIGN: The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Kentucky Cancer Registry were queried for individuals (≥20 years old) undergoing CRC screening (per US Preventative Services Task Force) or diagnosed with primary invasive CRC from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2016. Colorectal cancer screening rates, incidence, and survival were compared before (2011 to 2013) and after (2014 to 2016) ACA implementation. RESULTS: Colorectal cancer screening was performed in 930,176 individuals, and 11,441 new CRCs were diagnosed from 2011 to 2016. Screening for CRC increased substantially for Medicaid patients after ACA implementation (+230%, p < 0.001), with a higher increase in screening among the Appalachian (+44%) compared with the non-Appalachian (+22%, p < 0.01) population. The incidence of CRC increased after ACA implementation in individuals with Medicaid coverage (+6.7%, p < 0.001). Additionally, the proportion of early stage CRC (stage I/II) increased by 9.3% for Appalachians (p = 0.09), while there was little change for non-Appalachians (-1.5%, p = 0.60). Colorectal cancer survival was improved after ACA implementation (hazard ratio 0.73, p < 0.01), particularly in the Appalachian population with Medicaid coverage. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of Medicaid expansion led to a significant increase in CRC screening, CRC diagnoses, and overall survival in CRC patients with Medicaid, with an even more profound impact in the Appalachian population.

Reprocessed bipolar energy for laparoscopic colectomy: Is it worth it?

BACKGROUND: Reprocessed (re-sterilized) bipolar energy devices represent one effort to reduce operative costs. METHODS: Between January 2014 to October 2015, 76 patients underwent laparoscopic colectomy using a reprocessed bipolar energy device and were case-matched to 76 patients from a prospectively-maintained database from November 2012 to December 2013 when an identical, new device was used. Outcomes included reprocessed device safety, efficiency and hospital costs. RESULTS: There was no difference in patient demographics, operative times or failed pedicle ligation requiring intervention between groups (all P > 0.05). In 19.7% of reprocessed cases, the surgeon opened an additional new device after dissatisfaction with the reprocessed instrument. Operating room costs and total costs were less for the reprocessed device group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Reprocessed bipolar energy devices were associated with savings in operative expenses, however, larger studies are warranted due to the high surgeon dissatisfaction regarding safety concerns with the reprocessed equipment.