The Impact of Medicaid Expansion Under the Affordable Care Act on the Gap Between American Indians and Whites in Breast Cancer Management and Prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) death rates in the USA have not significantly declined for American Indians (AIs) in comparison to Whites. Our objective was to determine whether Medicaid Expansion as part of the Affordable Care Act led to improved BC outcomes for AIs relative to Whites. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the National Cancer Database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study. Included were BC patients who were AI and White; 40 to 64 years of age; diagnosed in 2009 to 2016; lived in states that expanded Medicaid in January 2014, and states that did not expand Medicaid. Our outcomes were stage at diagnosis, insurance status, timely treatment, and 3-year mortality. RESULTS: There were 359,484 newly diagnosed BC patients, 99.49% White, 0.51% AI. Uninsured rates declined more in the expansion states than in the nonexpansion states (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.15-0.97, P < 0.001). Lower rates of Stage I BC diagnosis was found in AIs compared to Whites (46.58% vs. 55.33%, P < .001); these differential rates did not change after Medicaid expansion. Rates of definitive treatment initiation within 30 days of diagnosis declined after Medicaid expansion (P < .001); there was a smaller decline in the expansion states (OR 1.118, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.15, P < .001). Three year mortality was not different between expansion and nonexpansion states post Medicaid expansion. CONCLUSIONS: In newly diagnosed BCs, uninsured rates declined more in the states that expanded Medicaid in January 2014. Timely treatment post Medicaid expansion declined less in states that expanded Medicaid. There was no differential benefit of Medicaid expansion in the 2 races.

Community-Level Factors are Predictors of Severe Maternal Morbidity Among American Indian and Alaska Native Pregnant People in the Pacific Northwest in a Multilevel Logistic Regression.

INTRODUCTION: American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) pregnant people face barriers to health and healthcare that put them at risk of pregnancy complications. Rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among Indigenous pregnant people are estimated to be twice that of non-Hispanic White (NHW) pregnant people. METHODS: Race-corrected Oregon Hospital Discharge and Washington Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System data were combined to create a joint dataset of births between 2012 and 2016. The analytic sample was composed of 12,535 AI/AN records and 313,046 NHW records. A multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between community-level, individual and pregnancy risk factors on SMM for AI/AN pregnant people. RESULTS: At the community level, AI/AN pregnant people were more likely than NHW to live in mostly or completely rural counties with low median household income and high uninsured rates. They were more likely to use Medicaid, be in a high-risk age category, and have diabetes or obesity. During pregnancy, AI/AN pregnant people were more likely to have insufficient prenatal care (PNC), gestational diabetes, and pre-eclampsia. In the multilevel model, county accounted for 6% of model variance. Hypertension pre-eclampsia, and county rurality were significant predictors of SMM among AI/AN pregnant people. High-risk age, insufficient PNC and a low county insured rate were near-significant at p < 0.10. DISCUSSION: Community-level factors are significant contributors to SMM risk for AI/AN pregnant people in addition to hypertension and pre-eclampsia. These findings demonstrate the need for targeted support in pregnancy to AI/AN pregnant people, particularly those who live in rural and underserved communities.

What is already known on this subject? American Indian and Alaska Native pregnant people face higher rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality, and the risk is exacerbated for rural Indigenous pregnant people.What this study adds? This publication uses a multilevel model to assess the contribution of community-level factors in severe maternal morbidity risk for American Indian and Alaska Native pregnant people. This analysis highlights the important role that rurality, prenatal care adequacy and access to insurance play in maternal morbidity risk and discusses how those risks are disproportionately felt by American Indian and Alaska Native pregnant people in the Pacific Northwest.

The convergence of racial and income disparities in health insurance coverage in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This study applied the vulnerability framework and examined the combined effect of race and income on health insurance coverage in the US. DATA SOURCE: The household component of the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) of 2017 was used for the study. STUDY DESIGN: Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between insurance coverage status and vulnerability measure, comparing insured with uninsured or insured for part of the year, insured for part of the year only, and uninsured only, respectively. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We constructed a vulnerability measure that reflects the convergence of predisposing (race/ethnicity), enabling (income), and need (self-perceived health status) attributes of risk. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: While income was a significant predictor of health insurance coverage (a difference of 6.1-7.2% between high- and low-income Americans), race/ethnicity was independently associated with lack of insurance. The combined effect of income and race on insurance coverage was devastating as low-income minorities with bad health had 68% less odds of being insured than high-income Whites with good health. CONCLUSION: Results of the study could assist policymakers in targeting limited resources on subpopulations likely most in need of assistance for insurance coverage. Policymakers should target insurance coverage for the most vulnerable subpopulation, i.e., those who have low income and poor health as well as are racial/ethnic minorities.

A national analysis of pediatric firearm violence and the effects of race and insurance status on risk of mortality.

OBJECTIVES: To perform a national analysis of pediatric firearm violence (PFV), hypothesizing that black and uninsured patients would have higher risk of mortality. METHODS: The Trauma Quality Improvement Program (2014-2016) was queried for PFV patients ≤16 years-old. Multivariable logistic regression models on all patients and a subset excluding severe brain injuries were performed. RESULTS: The PFV mortality rate was 11.2%. 66.5% of PFV patients were black (p < 0.001). Deceased patients were more likely to be uninsured (14.5% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.001). Black race was an associated risk factor for mortality in patients without severe brain injury (OR 5.26, CI 1.00-27.47, p = 0.049) but not for the overall population (OR 1.32, CI 0.68-2.56, p = 0.39). CONCLUSION: Nearly two-thirds of PFV patients were black. Contrary to previous studies, black and uninsured pediatric patients did not have an increased risk of mortality overall. However, in a subset of patients without severe brain injury, black race was associated with increased mortality risk. SUMMARY: Between 2014 and 2016 the mortality rate for pediatric firearm violence (PFV) in children 16 years and younger was 11.2%. Although two-thirds of PFV patients were black, black race and lack of insurance were not risk factors of mortality for the overall population. Once patients with severe brain injury were excluded, black race and became associated with an increased risk of mortality.

Targeting of Enrollment Assistance Resources in Health Insurance Television Advertising: A Comparison of Spanish- Vs. English-Language Ads.

Latinx adults, especially immigrants, face higher uninsurance and lower awareness of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) provisions and resources compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Television advertising of ACA health plans has directed many consumers to application assistance and enrollment, but little is known about how ads targeted Latinx consumers. We used Kantar Media/CMAG data from the Wesleyan Media Project to assess Spanish- vs. English-language ad targeting strategies and to assess which enrollment assistance resources (in person/telephone vs. online) were emphasized across three Open Enrollment Periods (OEP) (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16). We examined differences in advertisement sponsorship and volume of Spanish- versus English-language ads across the three OEPs. State-based Marketplaces sponsored 47% of Spanish-language airings; insurance companies sponsored 55% of English-language airings. The proportion of Spanish-language airings increased over time (8.8% in OEP1, 11.1% in OEP2, 12.0% in OEP3, p <.001). Spanish-language airings had 49% lower (95%CI: 0.50,0.53) and 2.20 times higher odds (95%CI: 2.17,2.24) of mentioning online and telephone/in-person enrollment assistance resources, respectively. While there was a significant decrease in mention of telephone/in-person assistance over time for English-language airings, these mentions increased significantly in Spanish-language airings. Future research should examine the impact of the drastic federal cuts to ACA outreach and marketing.

Trends in Poor Health Indicators Among Black and Hispanic Middle-aged and Older Adults in the United States, 1999-2018.

Importance: Adults who belong to racial/ethnic minority groups are more likely than White adults to receive a diagnosis of chronic disease in the United States. Objective: To evaluate which health indicators have improved or become worse among Black and Hispanic middle-aged and older adults since the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this repeated cross-sectional study, a total of 4 856 326 records were extracted from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from January 1999 through December 2018 of persons who self-identified as Black (non-Hispanic), Hispanic (non-White), or White and who were 45 years or older. Exposure: The 1999 legislation to reduce racial/ethnic health disparities. Main Outcomes and Measures: Poor health indicators and disparities including major chronic diseases, physical inactivity, uninsured status, and overall poor health. Results: Among the 4 856 326 participants (2 958 041 [60.9%] women; mean [SD] age, 60.4 [11.8] years), Black adults showed an overall decrease indicating improvement in uninsured status (ß = -0.40%; P < .001) and physical inactivity (ß = -0.29%; P < .001), while they showed an overall increase indicating deterioration in hypertension (ß = 0.88%; P < .001), diabetes (ß = 0.52%; P < .001), asthma (ß = 0.25%; P < .001), and stroke (ß = 0.15%; P < .001) during the last 20 years. The Black-White gap (ie, the change in ß between groups) showed improvement (2 trend lines converging) in uninsured status (-0.20%; P < .001) and physical inactivity (-0.29%; P < .001), while the Black-White gap worsened (2 trend lines diverging) in diabetes (0.14%; P < .001), hypertension (0.15%; P < .001), coronary heart disease (0.07%; P < .001), stroke (0.07%; P < .001), and asthma (0.11%; P < .001). Hispanic adults showed improvement in physical inactivity (ß = -0.28%; P = .02) and perceived poor health (ß = -0.22%; P = .001), while they showed overall deterioration in hypertension (ß = 0.79%; P < .001) and diabetes (ß = 0.50%; P < .001). The Hispanic-White gap showed improvement in coronary heart disease (-0.15%; P < .001), stroke (-0.04%; P < .001), kidney disease (-0.06%; P < .001), asthma (-0.06%; P = .02), arthritis (-0.26%; P < .001), depression (-0.23%; P < .001), and physical inactivity (-0.10%; P = .001), while the Hispanic-White gap worsened in diabetes (0.15%; P < .001), hypertension (0.05%; P = .03), and uninsured status (0.09%; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that Black-White disparities increased in diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, while Hispanic-White disparities remained in diabetes, hypertension, and uninsured status.

Asthma Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Patients and Physicians.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has demonstrated significantly worse outcomes for minority (black and Hispanic) individuals. Understanding the reasons for COVID-19-related disparities among patients with asthma has important public health implications. OBJECTIVE: To determine factors contributing to health disparities in those with asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An anonymous survey was sent through social media to adult patients with asthma, and a separate survey was sent to physicians who provide asthma care. The patient survey addressed demographic information including socioeconomic status, asthma control, and attitudes/health behaviors during COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 1171 patients (10.1% minority individuals) and 225 physicians completed the survey. Minority patients were more likely to have been affected by COVID-19 (eg, became unemployed, lived in a community with high COVID-19 cases). They had worse asthma control (increased emergency visits for asthma, lower Asthma Control Test score), were more likely to live in urban areas, and had a lower household income. Initial differences in attitudes and health behaviors disappeared after controlling for baseline demographic features. Institutional racism was demonstrated by findings that minority individuals were less likely to have a primary care physician, had more trouble affording asthma medications due to COVID-19, and were more likely to have lost health insurance because of COVID-19, and that 25% of physicians found it more challenging to care for black individuals with asthma during COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in socioeconomic status and the effects of institutional racism, but not health behaviors, sources of information, or attitudes, are playing a role in disparities seen for patients with asthma during COVID-19.

Association of maternal characteristics with latino youth health insurance disparities in the United States: a generalized structural equation modeling approach.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in access to care persist for Latino youth born in the United States (US). The association of maternal characteristics, such as maternal citizenship status and insurance coverage, on youth health insurance coverage is unclear and is important to examine given the recent sociopolitical shifts occurring in the US. METHODS: We analyzed pooled cross-sectional data from the 2010-2018 National Health Interview Survey to examine the association of Latina maternal citizenship status on maternal insurance coverage status and youth uninsurance among US-born Latino youth. Our study sample consisted of 15,912 US-born Latino youth (ages < 18) with linked mothers. Our outcome measures were maternal insurance coverage type and youth uninsurance and primary predictor was maternal citizenship status. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between maternal characteristics (maternal citizenship, maternal insurance coverage status) and youth uninsurance. RESULTS: Overall, 7% of US-born Latino youth were uninsured. Just 6% of youth with US-born mothers were uninsured compared to almost 10% of those with noncitizen mothers. Over 18% of youth with uninsured mothers were uninsured compared to 2.2% among youth with mothers who had private insurance coverage. Compared to both US-born and naturalized citizen Latina mothers, noncitizen Latina mothers had 4.75 times the odds of reporting being uninsured. Once adjusted for predisposing, enabling, and need factors, maternal uninsurance was strongly associated with youth uninsurance and maternal citizenship was weakly associated with youth uninsurance among US-born Latino youth. CONCLUSION: Maternal citizenship was associated with both maternal uninsurance and youth uninsurance among US-born Latino youth. Federal- and state-level health policymaking should apply a two-generational approach to ensure that mothers of children are offered affordable health insurance coverage, regardless of their citizenship status, thus reducing uninsurance among US-born Latino youth.

Presence of Any Medical Debt Associated With Two Additional Years of Homelessness in a Seattle Sample.

Although medical debt has been associated with housing instability, almost no research has connected homelessness to medical debt. We interviewed 60 individuals experiencing homelessness in Seattle, selected from those participating in self-governed encampments organized by a homeless advocacy organization. Most respondents reported having at least one kind of debt, with two-thirds reporting current medical debt. Almost half reported trouble paying medical bills for themselves or family members. Almost one-third believed medical debt was in part responsible for their current housing situation. More than half with medical debt incurred this debt while they were covered under insurance. People who had trouble paying medical bills experienced a more recent episode of homelessness 2 years longer than those who did not have such trouble, even after controlling for race, education, age, gender, and health status. People of color who had trouble paying medical bills reported almost 1 year more homelessness than whites.

Work Requirements and Medicaid Disenrollment in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas, 2018.

Objectives. To identify risk factors for Medicaid disenrollment after the implementation of Arkansas's work requirements.Methods. Using a 2018 telephone survey of 1208 low-income adults aged 30 to 49 years in Arkansas (expansion state with work requirements implemented in June 2018), Kentucky (expansion state with proposed work requirements blocked by courts), Louisiana (expansion state without work requirements), and Texas (nonexpansion state), we assessed Medicaid disenrollment rates among the age group targeted by Arkansas's policy.Results. The Medicaid disenrollment rate was highest in Texas (12.8%), followed by Arkansas (10.5%), Kentucky (5.8%), and Louisiana (2.8%). Over half of those who disenrolled in Texas and Arkansas became uninsured, compared with less than a quarter in Kentucky and Louisiana. In multivariate models, Arkansas had significantly higher disenrollment compared with the 3 comparison states; men and non-Hispanic Whites experienced higher disenrollment than women and racial minorities. In Arkansas, having a chronic condition was associated with higher disenrollment.Conclusions. As states debate work requirements and Medicaid reforms, our findings provide insights for policymakers about which populations may be most vulnerable to losing Medicaid coverage.

The Mortality Effects of Reduced Medicaid Coverage Among International Migrants in Hawaii: 2012-2018.

Objectives. To study the impact on mortality in Hawaii from the revoked state Medicaid program coverage in March 2015 for most Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrants who were nonblind, nondisabled, and nonpregnant.Methods. We computed quarterly crude mortality rates for COFA migrants, Whites, and Japanese Americans from March 2012 to November 2018. We employed a difference-in-difference research design to estimate the impact of the Medicaid expiration on log mortality rates.Results. We saw larger increases in COFA migrant mortality rates than White mortality rates after March 2015. By 2018, the increase was 43% larger for COFA migrants (P = .003). Mortality trends over this period were similar for Whites and Japanese Americans, who were not affected by the policy.Conclusions. Mortality rates of COFA migrants increased after Medicaid benefits expired despite the availability of state-funded premium coverage for private insurance and significant outreach efforts to reduce the impact of this coverage change.

Racial and health insurance disparities in pediatric acute kidney injury in the USA.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) significantly increases morbidity and mortality for hospitalized children, yet sociodemographic risk factors for pediatric AKI are poorly described. We examined sociodemographic differences in pediatric AKI amongst a national cohort of hospitalized children. METHODS: Secondary analysis of the most recent (2012) Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Study sample weights were used to obtain national estimates of AKI (defined by administrative data). KID is a nationally representative sample of pediatric discharges throughout the USA. Linear risk regression models were used to assess the relationship between our primary exposures (race/ethnicity, health insurance, household urbanization, gender, and age) and the diagnosis of AKI, adjusting for comorbidities. RESULTS: A total of 1,699,841 hospitalizations met our study criteria. In 2012, AKI occurred in approximately 12.3/1000 pediatric hospitalizations, which translates to almost 30,000 children nationally. Asian/Pacific Islander, African-American, and Hispanic children were at slightly increased risk for AKI compared to Caucasian children (adjusted risk difference (RD) 4.5 per 1000 hospitalizations, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.9-6.0; 2.5/1000 hospitalizations, 95% CI 1.7-3.3; and 1.7/1000 hospitalizations, 95% CI 0.9-2.5, respectively). Uninsured children were more likely to suffer AKI compared to children with any health insurance (e.g., no insurance versus Medicaid: adjusted RD 14.4/1000 hospitalizations, 95% CI 12.7-16.2). Based on these national estimates, one episode of AKI might be prevented if 70 (95% CI 62-79) hospitalized children without insurance were provided with Medicaid. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric AKI occurs more frequently in racial minority and uninsured children, factors linked to lower socioeconomic status.

The Relationship Between Insurance Coverage and Use of Prescription Contraception by Race and Ethnicity: Lessons From the Affordable Care Act.

BACKGROUND: We describe contraception use by race and ethnicity before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and assess the relationship between insurance coverage and prescription contraception use in both periods. STUDY DESIGN: Using data for women ages 15 to 45 at risk of unintended pregnancy from the 2006-2010 and 2015-2017 National Surveys of Family Growth, we examined changes in patterns of contraception use over time by race and ethnicity. We also examined changes in insurance coverage over the same period and considered how the relationship between insurance coverage and prescription contraception use has changed over time within each racial and ethnic group using both descriptive and multivariate regression methods. RESULTS: Before the ACA, Black and Hispanic women were less likely than White women to use prescription contraception by 13.2 and 9.9 percentage points, respectively. After the ACA Medicaid and Marketplace coverage expansions, all groups experienced a decrease in uninsurance, but only Black women experienced a significant increase in prescription contraception use. As a result, the post-ACA Black-White difference in prescription contraception use narrowed to 3.9 percentage points, and the Hispanic-White gap remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that, despite significant declines in uninsurance under the ACA, there was no increase in use of prescription contraception for White or Hispanic women. Moreover, the decrease in uninsurance among Black women did not fully explain the large increase in use of prescription contraception for this population.

Insuring Good Health: Outcomes and Acceptability of a Participatory Health Insurance Literacy Intervention in Diverse Urban Communities.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. uninsured rate has dropped significantly since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), yet insurance coverage remains lower in historically marginalized communities than in the overall population. New consumer engagement approaches that involve these populations are needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Insuring Good Health Intervention, a website and video series designed to improve engagement with health insurance and ACA reforms. The study was designed and implemented using a community-based participatory research approach. METHOD: We conducted a lagged-control cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate Insuring Good Health with racially and ethnically diverse adults seeking services in medically underserved areas within the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 6 and 9 months postintervention, and including self-efficacy, knowledge, beliefs, and intention to seek help with insurance navigation and care. RESULTS: Among 243 participants, mean age was 43.4 ( SD = 13) years, and all participants met federal guidelines for poverty. The study had an 86% response rate at 9-month follow-up ( n = 209). Compared with the lagged-control group, intervention participants had more positive beliefs concerning preventive care (estimate 0.51, standard error 0.16; p < .01), and intention to seek help with insurance navigation and care (estimate 0.43, standard error 0.17; p < .001) at 9-month follow-up. Hispanic participants benefitted the most from the intervention, including improved knowledge of health insurance eligibility over 9 months compared with other racial/ethnic groups (estimate -0.97, standard error 0.40, p < .01). DISCUSSION: Insuring Good Health was associated with increased intention to seek help with insurance navigation and care, and improved beliefs around preventive care. CONCLUSIONS: Insuring Good Health has the potential to be an important consumer engagement tool to reduce disparities in health insurance coverage and care seeking.

Racial Differences in Insurance Stability After Health Insurance Reform.

BACKGROUND: One of the potential benefits of insurance reform is greater stability of insurance and reduced coverage disparities by race and ethnicity. OBJECTIVES: We examined the temporal trends in insurance coverage by racial/ethnic group before and after Massachusetts Insurance Reform by abstracting records across 2 urban safety net hospital systems. RESEARCH DESIGN: We examined adjusted odds of being uninsured and incident rate ratios of gaining and losing insurance over time by race and ethnicity. We used billing records to capture the payer for each episode of care. SUBJECTS: We included data from January 2005 through December 2013 on patients with hypertension between the ages of 21 and 64 years. We compared 4 racial and ethnic groups: non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic. MEASURES: We examined individual patients' insurance coverage status in 6-month intervals. We compared odds of being uninsured in the transition and postinsurance reform period to the prereform period, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities practice location and education, and income by Census tract. RESULTS: Among 48,291 patients with hypertension, reduction in rates of uninsurance with insurance reform was greater for Hispanic (29.7%), non-Hispanic Black (24.8%), and non-Hispanic Asian (26.8%) than non-Hispanic white (14.9%) patients. The odds of becoming uninsured were reduced in all racial and ethnic groups (odds ratio, 0.27-0.41). CONCLUSIONS: Massachusetts Insurance Reform resulted in stable insurance coverage and a reduction in disparities in insurance instability by race and ethnicity.

Association of State Medicaid Expansion With Quality of Care and Outcomes for Low-Income Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Importance: Lack of insurance is associated with worse care and outcomes among adults hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It is unclear whether states' decision to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2014 were associated with improved quality of care and outcomes among low-income patients hospitalized with AMI. Objective: To investigate whether rates of uninsurance, quality of care, and outcomes changed among patients hospitalized for AMI 3 years after states elected to expand Medicaid compared with nonexpansion states. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort study completed at hospitals participating in National Cardiovascular Data Registry Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry. Participants were patients younger than 65 years hospitalized for AMI from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. Exposures: State Medicaid expansion in 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures: Rates of uninsured and Medicaid-insured hospitalizations for AMI in states that expanded Medicaid vs those that did not. Comparison of in-hospital care quality, procedure use, and mortality between expansion and nonexpansion states for the years prior to and after Medicaid expansion. Hierarchical logistic regressions models were used to assess the association between Medicaid expansion and outcomes. Results: The initial cohort included 325 343 patients. Uninsured AMI hospitalizations declined in expansion states (18.0% [4395 of 24 358 hospitalizations] to 8.4% [2638 of 31 382 hospitalizations]) and more modestly in nonexpansion states (25.6% [7963 of 31 137 hospitalizations] to 21.1% [8668 of 41 120 hospitalizations]) from 2012 to 2016 (P < .001 difference in trend expansion vs nonexpansion). Medicaid coverage increased from 7.5% (1818 of 24 358 hospitalizations) to 14.4% (4502 of 31 382 hospitalizations) in expansion states and 6.2% (1924 of 31 137 hospitalizations) to 6.6% (2717 of 41 120 hospitalizations) in nonexpansion states (P < .001). The low-income cohort included 55 737 patients across 765 sites. In expansion states, low-income adults' odds of receipt of defect-free care increased (76.3% to 75.9%, adjusted odds ratio 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.21) but to a lesser degree than in nonexpansion states (72.8% to 74.5%, adjusted odds ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.30-1.47; P for interaction < .001). There was no change in use of most procedures (ie, percutaneous coronary intervention for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) in expansion compared with nonexpansion states. Improvement in in-hospital mortality was similar between expansion and nonexpansion states (3.2% to 2.8%, adjusted odds ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.77-1.12 vs 3.3% to 3.0%, adjusted odds ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73-0.99; P for interaction = .48). Conclusions and Relevance: Medicaid expansion was associated with a significant reduction in rates of uninsurance among patients hospitalized with AMI. Quality of care and outcomes did not improve among low-income adults in expansion compared with nonexpansion states. Hospital care for AMI may be less sensitive to insurance than has been recognized in the past.

Centro SOL: A Community-Academic Partnership to Care for Undocumented Immigrants in an Emerging Latino Area.

PROBLEM: From 2000 to 2014, the Latino population in Baltimore city, an emerging Latino settlement area, experienced rapid growth. Many of these individuals are undocumented and not eligible for coverage. Academic medical centers often lead the way in addressing the health needs of undocumented immigrants; however, examples from emerging immigrant areas are limited. APPROACH: In October 2013, Johns Hopkins Medicine clinicians established the Center for Salud/Health and Opportunities for Latinos (Centro SOL) to better address the health needs of Baltimore's growing Latino community. Centro SOL's mission focuses on four core activities: clinical services; advocacy and community engagement efforts; pipeline/education opportunities; and research consultations. Progress is measured through a scorecard reviewed annually by Centro SOL leadership. OUTCOMES: Centro SOL's program has expanded health care access for undocumented immigrants, patient safety and quality of service/care programs for patients with limited English proficiency, and pipeline opportunities for Latino youth. In 2017, 2,763 uninsured patients received primary or specialty care and 290 people received group therapy to address stress-related conditions. In addition, 49 Latino students (ranging from high school to postgraduate students) received mentorship at Centro SOL. NEXT STEPS: In the next five years, Centro SOL plans to expand the pipeline for Latinos interested in health professions fields and to further improve access to health services for Latino families through both advocacy efforts and enhanced clinical services.

Vaccine-related attitudes and decision-making among uninsured, Latin American immigrant mothers of adolescent daughters: a qualitative study.

Uninsured Latin American immigrant women are at increased risk for vaccine preventable diseases, such as cervical cancer; yet gaps in vaccine coverage persist. The purpose of this study was to explore vaccine-related knowledge, attitudes and decision-making for tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY), and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among uninsured Latin American immigrant mothers of adolescent daughters. A purposive sample of 30 low-income, uninsured, predominantly Latin-American immigrant mothers of adolescent daughters aged 13-17 were recruited from two academic-community managed health clinics in Virginia. From March-September 2016, data were collected through in-person, semi-structured interviews, in English or Spanish. For data analysis, conventional content analysis was employed. The majority of participants self-identified as Hispanic and had less than a high-school level education. Key themes included: general acceptance of vaccines; associating vaccines with prevention/protection; minimal vaccine hesitancy; and lack of knowledge regarding vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccines recommended for adolescents, and adolescent daughters' vaccination history. Doctors' recommendation, school requirements, and the media were key influencers of vaccination. Mothers were the primary decision-maker regarding vaccine uptake among their adolescent daughters. Findings highlight the need for efforts to help uninsured Latin American immigrant mothers better understand vaccines, and provide linkages to affordable, accessible vaccines among under-resourced populations.

The Affordable Care Act's Effect on Discharge Disposition of Racial Minority Trauma Patients in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to examine the US trauma population before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA), specifically examining racial disparities in insurance status as well as access to post-hospitalization care in the trauma population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The National Trauma Data Bank was queried for all non-burn patients age 18 to 64. The patient data was grouped into pre-ACA (2012-2013) and post-ACA (2014-2015). Regression analysis was controlled for age, sex, race (when applicable), type of injury (blunt vs penetrating), ISS, shock, head injury, and mechanical ventilation and clustered by hospital. RESULTS: After ACA implementation, mortality decreased (2.4% from 2.6%, P < 0.001) and the number of patients discharged to acute care, nursing homes, and rehabilitation also decreased. Adjusting for age, sex, race, and injury-related variables associated with post-hospital care, the likelihood of discharge to acute care, skilled nursing, and rehab facilities decreased significantly post-ACA for all insurance and discharge destinations except those patients with private insurance discharging to rehab facilities. All uninsured patients as well as Caucasians with public insurance were more likely to die from their injuries than Caucasians with private insurance. After ACA, other minorities with private insurance had a higher mortality than privately-insured Caucasians. CONCLUSIONS: Despite an increase in the rate of insured trauma patients, after implementation of the affordable care act there was no increase in post-hospital care facility utilization, particularly for minorities. Uninsured trauma patients, who are more likely to be minorities, have not only decreased access to rehabilitation resources but also higher mortality.