Changes in Permanent Contraception Procedures Among Young Adults Following the Dobbs Decision.

This cross-sectional study evaluates changes in tubal ligation and vasectomy procedures among younger adults following the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization decision.

Contraceptive Use Among Traditional Medicare And Medicare Advantage Enrollees.

Medicare is the primary source of health insurance coverage for reproductive-age people with Social Security Disability Insurance. However, Medicare does not require contraceptive coverage for pregnancy prevention, and little is known about contraceptive use in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. We analyzed Medicare and Optum data to assess variations in contraceptive use and methods used by traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage enrollees, as well as among enrollees with and without noncontraceptive clinical indications. Clinically indicated contraceptives are used for reasons other than pregnancy prevention, including menstrual regulation or to treat acne, menorrhagia, and endometriosis. Contraceptive use was higher among Medicare Advantage enrollees than traditional Medicare enrollees, but use in both populations was low compared with contraceptive use among Medicaid enrollees. We found significant variation by Medicare type with respect to contraceptive methods used. Relative to traditional Medicare, the probability of long-acting reversible contraception was more than three times higher in Medicare Advantage, and the probability of tubal sterilization was more than ten times higher. Overall, Medicare enrollees with noncontraceptive clinical indications had twice the probability of contraceptive use as those without them. Medicare coverage of all contraceptive methods without cost sharing would help address financial barriers to contraceptives and support the reproductive autonomy of disabled enrollees.

Disparities in health condition diagnoses among aging transgender and cisgender medicare beneficiaries, 2008-2017.

Introduction: The objective of this research is to provide national estimates of the prevalence of health condition diagnoses among age-entitled transgender and cisgender Medicare beneficiaries. Quantification of the health burden across sex assigned at birth and gender can inform prevention, research, and allocation of funding for modifiable risk factors. Methods: Using 2009-2017 Medicare fee-for-service data, we implemented an algorithm that leverages diagnosis, procedure, and pharmacy claims to identify age-entitled transgender Medicare beneficiaries and stratify the sample by inferred gender: trans feminine and nonbinary (TFN), trans masculine and nonbinary (TMN), and unclassified. We selected a 5% random sample of cisgender individuals for comparison. We descriptively analyzed (means and frequencies) demographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, US census region, months of enrollment) and used chi-square and t-tests to determine between- (transgender vs. cisgender) and within-group gender differences (e.g., TMN, TFN, unclassified) difference in demographics (p<0.05). We then used logistic regression to estimate and examine within- and between-group gender differences in the predicted probability of 25 health conditions, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, enrollment length, and census region. Results: The analytic sample included 9,975 transgender (TFN n=4,198; TMN n=2,762; unclassified n=3,015) and 2,961,636 cisgender (male n=1,294,690, female n=1,666,946) beneficiaries. The majority of the transgender and cisgender samples were between the ages of 65 and 69 and White, non-Hispanic. The largest proportion of transgender and cisgender beneficiaries were from the South. On average, transgender individuals had more months of enrollment than cisgender individuals. In adjusted models, aging TFN or TMN Medicare beneficiaries had the highest probability of each of the 25 health diagnoses studied relative to cisgender males or females. TFN beneficiaries had the highest burden of health diagnoses relative to all other groups. Discussion: These findings document disparities in key health condition diagnoses among transgender Medicare beneficiaries relative to cisgender individuals. Future application of these methods will enable the study of rare and anatomy-specific conditions among hard-to-reach aging transgender populations and inform interventions and policies to address documented disparities.

Comparison of Low-Value Care Among Commercial and Medicaid Enrollees.

BACKGROUND: Low-value healthcare is costly and inefficient and may adversely affect patient outcomes. Despite increases in low-value service use, little is known about how the receipt of low-value care differs across payers. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate differences in the use of low-value care between patients with commercial versus Medicaid coverage. DESIGN: Retrospective observational analysis of the 2017 Rhode Island All-payer Claims Database, estimating the probability of receiving each of 14 low-value services between commercial and Medicaid enrollees, adjusting for patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Ensemble machine learning minimized the possibility of model misspecification. PARTICIPANTS: Medicaid and commercial enrollees aged 18-64 with continuous coverage and an encounter at which they were at risk of receiving a low-value service. INTERVENTION: Enrollment in Medicaid or Commercial insurance. MAIN MEASURES: Use of one of 14 validated measures of low-value care. KEY RESULTS: Among 110,609 patients, Medicaid enrollees were younger, had more comorbidities, and were more likely to be female than commercial enrollees. Medicaid enrollees had higher rates of use for 7 low-value care measures, and those with commercial coverage had higher rates for 5 measures. Across all measures of low-value care, commercial enrollees received more (risk difference [RD] 6.8 percentage points; CI: 6.6 to 7.0) low-value services than their counterparts with Medicaid. Commercial enrollees were also more likely to receive low-value services typically performed in the emergency room (RD 11.4 percentage points; CI: 10.7 to 12.2) and services that were less expensive (RD 15.3 percentage points; CI 14.6 to 16.0). CONCLUSION: Differences in the provision of low-value care varied across measures, though average use was slightly higher among commercial than Medicaid enrollees. This difference was more pronounced for less expensive services indicating that financial incentives may not be the sole driver of low-value care.

Improving Data-Driven Methods to Identify and Categorize Transgender Individuals by Gender in Insurance Claims Data.

Purpose: Prior algorithms enabled the identification and gender categorization of transgender people in insurance claims databases in which sex and gender are not simultaneously captured. However, these methods have been unable to categorize the gender of a large proportion of their samples. We improve upon these methods to identify the gender of a larger proportion of transgender people in insurance claims data. Methods: Using 2001-2019 Optum's Clinformatics® Data Mart insurance claims data, we adapted prior algorithms by combining diagnosis, procedure, and pharmacy claims to (1) identify a transgender sample; and (2) stratify the sample by gender category (trans feminine and nonbinary [TFN], trans masculine and nonbinary [TMN], unclassified). We used logistic regression to estimate the burden of 13 chronic health conditions, controlling for gender category, age, race/ethnicity, enrollment length, and census region. Results: We identified 38,598 unique transgender people, comprising 50% [n = 19,252] TMN, 26% (n = 10,040) TFN, and 24% (n = 9306) unclassified individuals. In adjusted models, relative to TMN people, TFN people had significantly higher odds of most chronic health conditions, including HIV, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorder, myocardial infarction, alcohol use disorder, and drug use disorder. Notably, TMN individuals had significantly higher odds of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression than TFN individuals. Conclusion: By combining complex administrative claims-based algorithms, we identified the largest U.S.-based sample of transgender individuals and inferred the gender of >75% of the sample. Adjusted models extend prior research documenting key health disparities by gender category. These methods may enable researchers to explore rare and sex-specific conditions in hard-to-reach transgender populations.

Differences in patient outcomes after outpatient GI endoscopy across settings: a statewide matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Outpatient GI endoscopy has been shifting from hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in recent years. However, evidence on whether patient outcomes after endoscopic procedures are comparable across settings is limited. This study compares the incidence of unplanned hospital visits after GI endoscopy performed in ASCs versus HOPDs. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study examining unplanned hospital visits after outpatient GI endoscopy performed in Massachusetts during 2014 to 2017 using Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database and Medicare fee-for-service claims. We identified screening colonoscopy, nonscreening colonoscopy, and esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs) performed in ASCs or HOPDs and estimated unplanned hospital visit rates within 7 and 30 days after these procedures. To compare rates between ASCs and HOPDs, we constructed procedure-specific, propensity score-matched samples and used multilevel logistic regressions adjusting for patient, procedure, and facility characteristics. RESULTS: Seven-day unplanned hospital visit rates were 10.6, 18.3, and 38.9 per 1000 procedures for screening colonoscopy, nonscreening colonoscopy, and EGD, respectively, with significant variation across facilities. ASC patients consistently had fewer postprocedure hospital encounters. The relative risk of having 7-day hospital visits after screening colonoscopy performed in ASCs was .88 (95% confidence interval [CI], .79-.98) compared with HOPDs. The estimates were .84 (95% CI, .75-.94) for nonscreening colonoscopy and .57 (95% CI, .50-.65) for EGD. Thirty-day visits showed similar patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Unplanned hospital visits after outpatient GI endoscopy were not uncommon. However, ASC patients consistently had less frequent hospital-based acute care encounters, indicating that GI endoscopy could be performed safely in ASCs for select patients.

Sexual satisfaction with daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among gay and bisexual men at two urban PrEP clinics in the United States: an observational study.

Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in preventing HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, limited data are available on the effect of PrEP use and sexual satisfaction among MSM taking PrEP. METHODS: We conducted a one-time, cross-sectional survey of MSM receiving PrEP care at two hospital-based PrEP clinics in Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, USA (April-September 2017). We oversampled Black and Hispanic/Latino individuals. Participants completed the 20-item New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS) twice, once for before and once for after starting PrEP. Participants reported sexual behaviours, PrEP adherence, PrEP attitudes, and quality of life with PrEP. RESULTS: A total of 108 gay and bisexual men (GBM) participated. Overall, 15.7% were Black (non-Hispanic/Latino) and 23.1% were Hispanic/Latino, with an average age of 36.6 years. Most participants reported private health insurance coverage (71.3%), and 88.9% identified as homosexual, gay, or same gender-loving. The mean NSSS score before PrEP initiation across all 20 items was 3.94 (maximum = 5; 95% CI: 4.22, 4.43), and increased significantly after PrEP initiation (4.33, 95% CI: 4.22, 4.43; P < 0.001). Most participants (73.2%) reported that PrEP increased quality of life. This was associated with significant change in pre- to post-PrEP NSSS scores (linear regression coefficient = 1.21; 95% CI: 0.585, 1.84). CONCLUSIONS: Initiating PrEP and reporting improved quality of life were significantly associated with an increase in sexual satisfaction. PrEP implementation efforts should consider sexual satisfaction to promote PrEP engagement and retention, and researchers and providers should adopt a sex-positive approach with PrEP patients, especially among MSM.

The Impact of Driving Time to Family Planning Facilities on Preventive Service Use in Ohio.

INTRODUCTION: Publicly funded family planning clinics provide preventive health services to low-income populations in the U.S. In recent years, several states, including Ohio, have restricted public funds for organizations that provide or refer patients to abortion care, often resulting in clinic closures. This research evaluates the effects of such closures on preventive service use and access to care among female adults in Ohio. METHODS: With data from the 2010 to 2015 Ohio Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, trends in health service use were assessed for female respondents aged 18-45 years with household incomes <$50,000. Clinic locations were combined with restricted-access survey ZIP codes to compute respondents' driving times to the nearest family planning clinic. The association between changes in driving time and the use of routine preventive and unmet care owing to cost were assessed with linear probability models. Analyses took place from March 2019 to February 2020. RESULTS: Each additional 10 minutes of driving time was associated with an 8.9 percentage point increase in the likelihood of avoided care owing to cost (95% CI=1.7, 16.2), a 10.4 percentage point decrease in the likelihood of mammogram receipt during the past 12 months (95% CI= -22.3, 1.5), and a 12.5 percentage point decrease in the likelihood of ever receiving a clinical breast examination (95% CI= -18.7, -6.3). Driving time had insignificant associations with other utilization outcomes. Similar results were obtained when using driving distance. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced access to family planning clinics was associated with unmet care due to cost and a reduction in preventive service use among low-income, reproductive-aged females.

Nonindicated pelvic examinations during contraceptive encounters: Prevalence and provider variations.

OBJECTIVE: Despite evidence that mandatory pelvic examinations deter contraceptive use and are not clinically necessary, survey research suggests that clinicians regularly perform pelvic examinations prior to prescribing contraceptives. This study estimates prevalence of nonindicated pelvic exams during contraceptive encounters, and variation in prevalence by provider specialty. STUDY DESIGN: Using a national sample of commercial claims data, we identified contraceptive encounters without concurrent indication for pelvic examination among females aged 15 to 49 from 2007 to 2017. We first calculated the nonindicated exam rate by provider specialty and patient age. Using data from 2017 and linear probability models with metropolitan statistical area fixed effects, we estimated the differences in adjusted rates of nonindicated pelvic examination by provider specialty. To assess trends by provider specialty, we used all years of data and interacted specialty with year. RESULTS: Of 7.9 million identified contraceptive encounters, 81.8% had no identified indications for pelvic exam. Exams were billed at 17.7% of these visits (2007-2017), and this rate increased from 13.4% in 2007 to 20.7% in 2017. The largest increase occurred among encounters with an obstetrician-gynecologist. In 2017, obstetrician-gynecologists were 20.3 percentage points (95% CI: 19%-21%) more likely to perform a concurrent pelvic exam compared to family physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic examinations during contraceptive visits increased from 2007 to 2017. Increases occurred across all provider specialties, but were largely driven by obstetrician-gynecologists, who oversaw over half of all contraceptive encounters and performed non-indicated pelvic exams at the highest rate. IMPLICATIONS: This research provides real-world evidence that suggests pelvic exams are increasingly performed during contraceptive encounters and that patients regularly undergo a low-value, invasive examination while obtaining contraceptive care. Continuing education, reimbursement reform, and more evidence on the harms of non-indicated pelvic exams will be necessary to change clinical practice.

Association of the National Dependent Coverage Expansion With Insurance Use for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services by Female Young Adults.

Importance: Sexual and reproductive health services are a primary reason for care seeking by female young adults, but the association of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Expansion (ACA-DCE) with insurance use for these services has not been studied to our knowledge. Insurer billing practices may compromise dependent confidentiality, potentially discouraging dependents from using insurance or obtaining care. Objective: To evaluate the association between implementation of ACA-DCE and insurance use for confidential sexual and reproductive health services by female young adults newly eligible for parental coverage. Design, Setting, and Participants: For this cross-sectional study, a difference-in-differences analysis of a US national sample of commercial claims from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2009, and January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2016, captured insurance use before and after policy implementation among female young adults aged 23 to 25 years (treatment group) who were eligible for dependent coverage compared with those aged 27 to 29 years (comparison group) who were ineligible for dependent coverage. Data were analyzed from January 2019 to February 2020. Exposures: Eligibility for parental coverage under the ACA-DCE as of 2010. Main Outcomes and Measures: Probability of insurance use for contraception and Papanicolaou testing. Emergency department and well visits were included as control outcomes not sensitive to confidentiality concerns. Linear probability models adjusted for age, plan type, annual deductible, comorbidities, and state and year fixed effects, with SEs clustered at the state level. Results: The study sample included 4 690 699 individuals (7 268 372 person-years), with 2 898 275 in the treatment group (mean [SD] age, 23.7 [0.8] years) and 1 792 424 in the comparison group (mean [SD] age; 27.9 [0.8] years). Enrollees in the treatment group were less likely to have a comorbidity (77.3% vs 72.9%) and more likely to have a high deductible plan (14.6% vs 10.1%) than enrollees in the comparison group. Implementation of the ACA-DCE was associated with a -2.9 (95% CI, -3.4 to -2.4) percentage point relative reduction in insurance use for contraception and a -3.4 (95% CI, -3.9 to -3.0) percentage point relative reduction in Papanicolaou testing in the treatment vs comparison groups. Emergency department and well visits increased 0.4 (95% CI, 0.2-0.7) and 1.7 (95% CI, 1.3-2.1) percentage points, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that implementation of the ACA-DCE was associated with a reduction in insurance use for sexual and reproductive health services and an increase in emergency department and well health visits by female young adults newly eligible for parental coverage. Some young people who gained coverage under the expansion may not be using essential, confidential services.

Racial/Ethnic And Income-Based Disparities In Health Savings Account Participation Among Privately Insured Adults.

With the rise in the share of privately insured patients covered by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), understanding sociodemographic trends in the uptake of health savings accounts (HSAs) is increasingly important, as HSAs may help offset the higher up-front costs of care in HDHPs. We used nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey from the period 2007-18 to examine trends in HDHP enrollment and HSA participation among privately insured adults by income level and race/ethnicity. Our findings show a substantial increase in HDHP enrollment across all racial/ethnic and income groups from 2007 to 2018. However, Black, Hispanic, and low-income HDHP enrollees were significantly less likely than their White and higher-income counterparts to participate in HSAs, and these gaps increased over time. This means that the HDHP enrollees most likely to benefit from the potential financial protection of HSAs were the least likely to have them. If these trends persist, racial/ethnic and income-based disparities in cost-related barriers to care may widen.

Next-Generation HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Preferences Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Taking Daily Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.

Next-generation forms of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) currently in development, including long-acting injectables (LAIs), rectal microbicides (RMs), antibody infusions (AIs), and subdermal implants (SIs), may address barriers to daily oral PrEP uptake and adherence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate barriers to oral PrEP, preferences for next-generation PrEP modalities, sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviors associated with preferences, and reasons for wanting or not wanting each formulation among a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM). We administered a cross-sectional survey to a diverse sample of MSM currently taking oral PrEP (n = 108) at two sexually transmitted disease clinics. We used logistic multivariate analyses to explore preferences, relative to oral PrEP, for each formulation across sociodemographic and sexual behaviors. The most commonly endorsed barriers were finding a PrEP provider and making appointments to get PrEP. Participants were most likely to prefer the SI (45%), followed by the LAI (31%), pill (21%), RM (1%), and AI (1%). Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino MSM were more likely to prefer the LAI over daily oral PrEP (odds ratio: 2.45, 95% confidence interval: 0.86-6.89), and sexual behaviors were most commonly associated with preference for the SI. Top reasons for wanting or not wanting each formulation were most commonly related to perceived ease of use. These findings demonstrate variations in preferences for next-generation PrEP modalities, highlighting a need to ensure comprehensive access to all formulations once they become available.

Why is it so hard to implement change? A qualitative examination of barriers and facilitators to distribution of naloxone for overdose prevention in a safety net environment.

BACKGROUND: The increase in opioid overdose deaths has become a national public health crisis. Naloxone is an important tool in opioid overdose prevention. Distribution of nasal naloxone has been found to be a feasible, and effective intervention in community settings and may have potential high applicability in the emergency department, which is often the initial point of care for persons at high risk of overdose. One safety net hospital introduced an innovative policy to offer take-home nasal naloxone via a standing order to ensure distribution to patients at risk for overdose. The aims of this study were to examine acceptance and uptake of the policy and assess facilitators and barriers to implementation. METHODS: After obtaining pre-post data on naloxone distribution, we conducted a qualitative study. The PARiHS framework steered development of the qualitative guide. We used theoretical sampling in order to include the range of types of emergency department staff (50 total). The constant comparative method was initially used to code the transcripts and identify themes; the themes that emerged from the coding were then mapped back to the evidence, context and facilitation constructs of the PARiHS framework. RESULTS: Acceptance of the policy was good but uptake was low. Primary themes related to facilitators included: real-world driven intervention with philosophical, clinician and leadership support; basic education and training efforts; availability of resources; and ability to leave the ED with the naloxone kit in hand. Barriers fell into five general categories: protocol and policy; workflow and logistical; patient-related; staff roles and responsibilities; and education and training. CONCLUSIONS: The actual implementation of a new innovation in healthcare delivery is largely driven by factors beyond acceptance. Despite support and resources, implementation was challenging, with low uptake. While the potential of this innovation is unknown, understanding the experience is important to improve uptake in this setting and offer possible solutions for other facilities to address the opioid overdose crisis. Use of the PARiHS framework allowed us to recognize and understand key evidence, contextual and facilitation barriers to the successful implementation of the policy and to identify areas for improvement.

Single Viral Load Measurements Overestimate Stable Viral Suppression Among HIV Patients in Care: Clinical and Public Health Implications.

BACKGROUND: The HIV continuum of care paradigm uses a single viral load test per patient to estimate the prevalence of viral suppression. We compared this single-value approach with approaches that used multiple viral load tests to examine the stability of suppression. METHODS: The retrospective analysis included HIV patients who had at least 2 viral load tests during a 12-month observation period. We assessed the (1) percent with suppressed viral load (<200 copies/mL) based on a single test during observation, (2) percent with suppressed viral loads on all tests during observation, (3) percent who maintained viral suppression among patients whose first observed viral load was suppressed, and (4) change in viral suppression status comparing first with last measurement occasions. Prevalence ratios compared demographic and clinical subgroups. RESULTS: Of 10,942 patients, 78.5% had a suppressed viral load based on a single test, whereas 65.9% were virally suppressed on all tests during observation. Of patients whose first observed viral load was suppressed, 87.5% were suppressed on all subsequent tests in the next 12 months. More patients exhibited improving status (13.3% went from unsuppressed to suppressed) than worsening status (5.6% went from suppressed to unsuppressed). Stable suppression was less likely among women, younger patients, black patients, those recently diagnosed with HIV, and those who missed ≥1 scheduled clinic visits. CONCLUSIONS: Using single viral load measurements overestimated the percent of HIV patients with stable suppressed viral load by 16% (relative difference). Targeted clinical interventions are needed to increase the percent of patients with stable suppression.

Identifying Patients for Overdose Prevention With ICD-9 Classification in the Emergency Department, Massachusetts, 2013-2014.

The national rise in opioid overdose deaths signifies a need to integrate overdose prevention within healthcare delivery settings. The emergency department (ED) is an opportune location for such interventions. To effectively integrate prevention services, the target population must be clearly defined. We used ICD-9 discharge codes to establish and apply overdose risk categories to ED patients seen from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 at an urban safety-net hospital in Massachusetts with the goal of informing ED-based naloxone rescue kit distribution programs. Of 96,419 patients, 4,468 (4.6%) were at increased risk of opioid overdose, defined by prior opioid overdose, misuse, or polysubstance misuse. A small proportion of those at risk were prescribed opioids on a separate occasion. Use of risk categories defined by ICD-9 codes identified a notable proportion of ED patients at risk for overdose, and provides a systematic means to prioritize and direct clinical overdose prevention efforts.