Extended Postpartum Medicaid In Colorado Associated With Increased Treatment For Perinatal Mood And Anxiety Disorders.

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD), a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, affect approximately one in seven births in the US. To understand whether extending pregnancy-related Medicaid eligibility from sixty days to twelve months may increase the use of mental health care among low-income postpartum people, we measured the effect of retaining Medicaid as a low-income adult on mental health treatment in the postpartum year, using a "fuzzy" regression discontinuity design and linked all-payer claims data, birth records, and income data from Colorado from the period 2014-19. Relative to enrolling in commercial insurance, retaining postpartum Medicaid enrollment was associated with a 20.5-percentage-point increase in any use of prescription medication or outpatient mental health treatment, a 16.0-percentage-point increase in any use of prescription medication only, and a 7.3-percentage-point increase in any use of outpatient mental health treatment only. Retaining postpartum Medicaid enrollment was also associated with $40.84 lower out-of-pocket spending per outpatient mental health care visit and $3.24 lower spending per prescription medication for anxiety or depression compared with switching to commercial insurance. Findings suggest that extending postpartum Medicaid eligibility may be associated with higher levels of PMAD treatment among the low-income postpartum population.

COVID-19 Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision Yielded Gains In Postpartum Continuity Of Coverage.

The Medicaid continuous enrollment provision mandated by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 effectively prohibited the termination of enrollees from Medicaid during the COVID-19 public health emergency, including people enrolled in Medicaid during pregnancy. Using data from the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System, we found that the rate of continuous Medicaid enrollment during the twelve months postpartum increased from 59.3 percent for births during March-December 2018 to 90.7 percent for births during March-December 2020, when the public health emergency was in effect. This corresponds to approximately 430,000 fewer people losing Medicaid coverage after pregnancy and an average of more than 2.5 months of additional postpartum enrollment. These findings indicate that states that have extended or that plan to extend pregnancy-related Medicaid eligibility in the postpartum year are likely to experience significant gains in continuity of coverage.

Comparing approaches to identify live births using the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of different approaches for identifying live births using Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System Analytic Files (TAF). DATA SOURCES: The primary data source for this study were TAF inpatient (IP), other services (OT), and demographic and eligibility files. These data contain administrative claims for Medicaid enrollees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. STUDY DESIGN: We compared five approaches for identifying live birth counts obtained from the TAF IP and OT data with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Natality data-the gold standard for birth counts at the state level. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: The five approaches used varying combinations of diagnosis and procedure, revenue, and place of service codes to identify live births. Approaches 1 and 2 follow guidance developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Approaches 3 and 4 build on the approaches developed by CMS by including all inpatient hospital claims in the OT file and excluding codes related to delivery services for infants, respectively. Approach 5 applied Approach 4 to only the IP file. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Approach 4, which included all inpatient hospital claims in the OT file and excluded codes related to infants to identify deliveries, achieved the best match of birth counts relative to CDC birth record data, identifying 1,656,794 live births-a national overcount of 3.6%. Approaches 1 and 3 resulted in larger overcounts of births (20.5% and 4.5%), while Approaches 2 and 5 resulted in undercounts of births (-3.4% and -6.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Including claims from both the IP and OT files, and excluding codes unrelated to the delivery episode and those specific to services rendered to infants improves accuracy of live birth identification in the TAF data.

Medicaid Reimbursement for Doula Care: Policy Considerations From a Scoping Review.

Evidence suggests that perinatal doula care can support maternal health and reduce racial inequities among low-income pregnant and postpartum people, prompting growing interest by state Medicaid agencies to reimburse for doula services. Emerging peer-reviewed and gray literature document factors facilitating or impeding that reimbursement. We conducted a scoping review of that literature (2012-2022) to distill key policy considerations for policymakers and advocates in the inclusion of doula care as a Medicaid-covered benefit. Fifty-three reports met the inclusion criteria. Most (53%) were published in 2021 or 2022. Their stated objectives were advocating for expanded access to doula care (17%), describing barriers to policy implementation, and/or offering recommendations to overcome the barriers (17%). A primary policy consideration among states was prioritizing partnership with doulas and doula advocates to inform robust and equitable policymaking to sustain the doula profession.

Georgia Pathways-Partial Medicaid Expansion With Work Requirements and Premiums.

This Viewpoint discusses the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program, which is the first state program that partially expands Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults with work requirements.

Using Modernized Medicaid Data to Advance Evidence-Based Improvements in Maternal Health.

Medicaid is the primary payor for nearly half of all births in the United States and plays a disproportionate role in covering maternity care for low-income people, rural people, and minoritized racial groups. Newly available, modernized Medicaid claims data-the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System Analytic Files (TAF)-offer a significant opportunity to conduct novel research that can drive the development of evidence-based programs and policies for Medicaid beneficiaries before, during, and after pregnancy. Yet, the public health research community has so far underused the TAF for maternal health research. We provide an overview of the TAF and how they compare to other major data sets available to study maternal health. We highlight some major limitations of the TAF and offer strategies to maximize the potential of these novel data to accelerate timely, rigorous research to improve maternal health and health equity. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(7):805-810. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307287).

State Variation in Severe Maternal Morbidity Among Individuals With Medicaid Insurance.

OBJECTIVE: To measure variation in delivery-related severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among individuals with Medicaid insurance by state and by race and ethnicity across and within states. METHODS: We conducted a pooled, cross-sectional analysis of the 2016-2018 TAF (Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System Analytic Files). We measured overall and state-level rates of SMM without blood transfusion for all individuals with Medicaid insurance with live births in 49 states and Washington, DC. We also examined SMM rates among non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White individuals with Medicaid insurance in a subgroup of 27 states (and Washington, DC). We generated unadjusted rates of composite SMM and the individual indicators of SMM that comprised the composite. Rate differences and rate ratios were calculated to compare SMM rates for non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White individuals with Medicaid insurance. RESULTS: The overall rate of SMM without blood transfusion was 146.2 (95% CI 145.1-147.3) per 10,000 deliveries (N=4,807,143). Rates of SMM ranged nearly threefold, from 80.3 (95% CI 71.4-89.2) per 10,000 deliveries in Utah to 210.4 (95% CI 184.6-236.1) per 10,000 deliveries in Washington, DC. Non-Hispanic Black individuals with Medicaid insurance (n=629,774) experienced a higher overall rate of SMM (212.3, 95% CI 208.7-215.9) compared with non-Hispanic White individuals with Medicaid insurance (n=1,051,459); (125.3, 95% CI 123.2-127.4) per 10,000 deliveries (rate difference 87.0 [95% CI 82.8-91.2]/10,000 deliveries; rate ratio 1.7 [95% CI 1.7-1.7]). The leading individual indicator of SMM among all individuals with Medicaid insurance was eclampsia, although the leading indicators varied across states and by race and ethnicity. Many states were concordant in leading indicators among the overall, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White populations (ie, in Oklahoma sepsis was the leading indicator for all three). Most states, however, were discordant in leading indicators across the three groups (ie, in Texas eclampsia was the leading indicator overall, pulmonary edema or acute heart failure was the leading indicator among the non-Hispanic Black population, and sepsis was the leading indicator among the non-Hispanic White population). CONCLUSION: Interventions aimed at reducing SMM and, ultimately, mortality among individuals with Medicaid insurance may benefit from the data generated from this study, which highlights states that have the greatest burden of SMM, the differences in rates among non-Hispanic Black populations compared with non-Hispanic White populations, and the leading indicators of SMM overall, by state, and by race and ethnicity.

Differences Between VHA-Delivered and VHA-Purchased Behavioral Health Care in Service and Patient Characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: Federal legislation has expanded Veterans Health Administration (VHA) enrollees' access to VHA-purchased "community care." This study examined differences in the amount and type of behavioral health care delivered in VHA and purchased in the community, along with patient characteristics and area supply and demand factors. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study examined data for 204,094 VHA enrollees with 448,648 inpatient behavioral health stays and 3,467,010 enrollees with 55,043,607 outpatient behavioral health visits from fiscal years 2016 to 2019. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated for patient and provider characteristics at the outpatient-visit level for VHA and community care. Linear probability models assessed the association between severity of behavioral health condition and site of care. RESULTS: Twenty percent of inpatient stays were purchased through community care, with severe behavioral health conditions more likely to be treated in VHA inpatient care. In the outpatient setting, community care accounted for 3% of behavioral health care visits, with increasing use over time. For outpatient care, veterans receiving community care were more likely than those receiving VHA care to see clinicians with fewer years of training (SMD=1.06). CONCLUSIONS: With a large portion of inpatient behavioral health care occurring in the community and increased use of outpatient behavioral health care with less highly trained community providers, coordination between VHA and the community is essential to provide appropriate inpatient follow-up care and address outpatient needs. This is especially critical given VHA's expertise in providing behavioral health care to veterans and its legislative responsibility to ensure integrated care.

What is the role of selection bias in quality comparisons between the Veterans Health Administration and community care? Example of elective hernia surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between community care (CC) treatment and a postoperative surgical complication in elective hernia surgery among Veterans using multiple approaches to control for potential selection bias. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data sources included Corporate Data Warehouse (VHA encounters and patient data), the Program Integrity Tool and Fee tables (CC encounters), the Planning Systems Support Group (geographic information), and the Paid file (VHA primary care providers). STUDY DESIGN: Prior works suggest patient outcomes are better in VHA than in CC settings; however, these studies may not have appropriately accounted for the selection of higher-risk cases into CC. We estimated (1) a naïve logistic regression model to calculate the effect of CC setting on the probability of a complication, controlling for facility fixed effects and patient and procedure characteristics, and (2) a 2-stage model using the hernia patient's primary care provider's 1-year prior CC referral rate as the instrument. DATA COLLECTION: We identified patients residing ≤40 miles from a VHA surgical facility with elective VHA or CC hernia surgery from 2018 to 2019. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Of 7991 hernia surgeries, 772 (9.7%) were in CC. The overall complication rate was 4.2%; 286/7219 (4.0%) among VHA surgeries versus 51/5772 (6.6%, p < 0.05) in CC. We observed a 2.8 percentage point increase in the probability of postoperative complication given CC surgery (95% confidence interval: 0.7, 4.8) in the naïve model. After accounting for the VHA provider's historical rate of CC referral, we no longer observed a relationship between surgery setting and risk of postoperative complication. CONCLUSIONS: After accounting for the selection of higher-risk patients to CC settings, we found no difference in hernia surgery postoperative complications between CC and VHA. Future VHA and non-VHA comparisons should account for unobserved as well as observed differences in patients seen in each setting.

The Association Between Postpartum Insurance Instability and Access to Postpartum Mental Health Services: Evidence From Colorado.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to assess the association between postpartum insurance instability and access to postpartum mental health services. METHODS: We used 2018-2019 Colorado Health eMoms survey data, which sampled mothers from the 2018 birth certificate files at 3-6 months and 12-14 months postpartum. Respondents were classified as stably insured or unstably insured based on postpartum insurance status at each time point. We examined postpartum insurance patterns and used logistic regression to assess the association between postpartum insurance instability and mental health care access. RESULTS: Insurance changes primarily occurred by 3-6 months postpartum. Of respondents with public coverage at childbirth, 33.2% experienced postpartum insurance changes compared with 9.5% with private coverage (p < .001). Respondents who were younger, had incomes of less than $50,000, and were of Hispanic ethnicity were more likely to experience unstable postpartum insurance. Respondents who experienced postpartum insurance instability had a lower odds of reporting that they discussed mental health at a postpartum check-up (adjusted odds ratio, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.7; p < .01) and received postpartum mental health services (adjusted odds ratio, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.9; p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of postpartum insurance disruptions occurred among respondents with public coverage at childbirth and by 3-6 months postpartum. Respondents who experienced unstable coverage were more likely to have less access to postpartum mental health care. Policies that increase postpartum insurance stability, such as postpartum Medicaid extensions beyond 60 days, are needed to improve access to postpartum mental health services.

Comparison of Postpartum Health Care Use and Spending Among Individuals with Medicaid-Paid Births Enrolled in Continuous Medicaid vs Commercial Insurance.

Importance: Postpartum Medicaid eligibility extensions are likely to shift enrollees from commercial to Medicaid coverage in the postpartum year; however, the potential implications for health care use and spending are unknown. Objective: To compare health care use and spending among individuals with a Medicaid-paid birth who had continuous Medicaid vs continuous commercial insurance during months 3 to 12 post partum. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cross-sectional study using linked all-payer claims, birth records, and income data for Medicaid-paid births in the Colorado All Payer Claims Database from 2014 to 2019 to estimate the association between continuous Medicaid vs commercial insurance and health care use and spending during months 3 to 12 post partum. Exposure: Continuous enrollment in Medicaid vs commercial insurance during months 3 to 12 post partum. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were the rate and number of primary care and outpatient visits, and total out-of-pocket spending during months 3 to 12 post partum. Secondary outcomes were the rate and number of emergency department visits and hospitalizations during months 3 to 12 post partum. Results: The 44 471 individuals in the sample had a mean (SD) age of 26.8 (5.50) years. Self-reported race and ethnicity included 1279 (2.9%) Asian individuals, 4028 (9.1%) Black individuals, 33 534 (75.4%) White individuals, as well as 5630 (12.7%) individuals of other race and ethnicity (American Indian or Alaskan Native; Other Pacific Islander; and unspecified). Of these, 19 337 (43.5%) self-identified as Hispanic individuals. The sample included 42 989 individuals continuously enrolled in Medicaid and 1482 individuals continuously enrolled in commercial insurance during months 3 to 12 post partum. Compared with those continuously enrolled in Medicaid, commercially insured enrollees were older (32.2% of commercial enrollees were between the ages of 30-39 vs 27.5% of Medicaid enrollees, P < .001), less likely to be Hispanic (38.9% in commercial vs 43.7% in Medicaid, P < .001) or born in the US (15.6% in commercial vs 19.6% in Medicaid, P < .001), and more likely to be married (62.8% in commercial vs 54.8% in Medicaid, P < .001), have completed college (32.9% in commercial vs 16.5% in Medicaid, P < .001), and initiated early prenatal care (79.7% in commercial vs 72.5% in Medicaid, P < .001). In multivariable models, individuals with commercial insurance were 2.46 percentage points (95% CI, 2.12-2.79 percentage points; P < .001) more likely to attend a primary care visit and had 0.81 (95% CI, 0.70-0.92; P < .001) additional primary care visits total during months 3 to 12 post partum. Individuals enrolled in commercial insurance were 7.92 percentage points (95% CI, -8.44 to -7.40 percentage points; P = .006) less likely to visit an emergency department compared with those enrolled in Medicaid. Total adjusted per person spending was $1110 (95% CI, $509-$1710; P < .001) higher, and total out-of-pocket spending per person was $796 (95% CI, $754-$838; P < .001) higher for those enrolled in commercial insurance vs Medicaid. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, primary care use was higher and emergency department use was lower among those continuously enrolled in commercial vs Medicaid insurance during months 3 to 12 post partum. Medicaid rather than commercial insurance was associated with decreased exposure to out-of-pocket costs during months 3 to 12 postpartum for individuals with low income.

Coverage Disruptions and Transitions Across the ACA's Medicaid/Marketplace Income Cutoff.

BACKGROUND: The Affordable Care Act takes a "patchwork" approach to expanding coverage: Medicaid covers individuals with incomes 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) in expansion states, while subsidized Marketplace insurance is available to those above this income cutoff. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the magnitude of churning between Medicaid and Marketplace coverage and to examine the impact of the 138% FPL income cutoff on stability of coverage. DESIGN: We measured the incidence of transitions between Medicaid and Marketplace coverage. Then, we used a differences-in-differences framework to compare insurance churning in Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states, before and after the ACA, among adults with incomes 100-200% of poverty. PARTICIPANTS: Non-elderly adult respondents of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2010-2018 MAIN MEASURES: The annual proportion of adults who (1) transitioned between Medicaid and Marketplace coverage; (2) experienced any coverage disruption. KEY RESULTS: One million U.S. adults transitioned between Medicaid and Marketplace coverage annually. The 138% FPL cutoff in expansion states was not associated with an increase in insurance churning among individuals with incomes close to the cutoff. CONCLUSIONS: Transitions between Medicaid and Marketplace insurance are uncommon-far lower than pre-ACA analyses predicted. The 138% income cutoff does not to contribute significantly to insurance disruptions.

Extended Postpartum Medicaid Eligibility Is Associated With Improved Continuity Of Coverage In The Postpartum Year.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 enables states to lengthen eligibility for pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage from the current sixty days after birth to up to one year, a time when mothers remain at elevated pregnancy-related health risk. Using linked birth records, income, and all-payer claims data for Medicaid-paid births in Colorado during the period 2014-19, we compared continuity of coverage during one year postpartum among people eligible for low-income adult Medicaid (with incomes of 138 percent of the federal poverty level or lower) versus those ineligible for Medicaid by any pathway (with incomes of 139 percent of poverty or higher). We found that retention of Medicaid coverage as a low-income adult was associated with 1.5 additional months of postpartum insurance enrollment and a 12-percentage-point increase in the probability of continuous insurance coverage during the first year after birth. Our findings suggest that states that adopt the American Rescue Plan Act option to provide eligibility for pregnancy-related benefits for a full year after birth are likely to improve continuity of postpartum insurance coverage.

Mental Health and Postpartum Care in California: Implications from California's Provisional Postpartum Care Extension.

BACKGROUND: California's Provisional Postpartum Care Extension (PPCE) extended Medicaid eligibility through 1 year postpartum for women enrolled in Medi-Cal with annual household incomes of 138%-322% of the federal poverty level and maternal mental health diagnoses. METHODS: For this cross-sectional descriptive study, we used the 2017 Listening to Mothers in California survey of postpartum women to identify those potentially eligible for PPCE. We then sought to describe their demographic characteristics, self-reported mental health, and utilization of postpartum care and mental health services compared with those with Medi-Cal during pregnancy who did not meet PPCE eligibility criteria. RESULTS: Overall, potentially PPCE-eligible women comprised 6.8% of respondents. Among those who did not qualify for PPCE, the primary reason was the absence of self-reported maternal mental health symptoms. Potentially PPCE-eligible women were approximately two-thirds Hispanic/Latina and more than one-third were ages 25 to 29. The most common self-reported mental health symptom was anxiety during pregnancy (78.9%). Among potentially PPCE-eligible women, 8.4% were taking medicine for anxiety/depression postpartum and 16.0% were receiving postpartum counseling/treatment for emotional or mental well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses suggest that PPCE could have extended postpartum coverage eligibility for approximately 30,360 women statewide. However, our findings demonstrate how narrowly defined PPCE eligibility criteria likely excluded many postpartum women in Medi-Cal who would have been left with limited benefits or more cost-sharing under alternative coverage options. This research could inform state and federal policymakers considering other proposals to extend postpartum Medicaid eligibility.

The Association Between Continuity Of Marketplace Coverage During Pregnancy And Receipt Of Prenatal Care.

Insurance disruptions before, during, and after pregnancy are common in the United States, but little is known about the enrollment patterns of pregnant people in the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces. Data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from the period 2016-18 show that among respondents enrolled in Marketplace coverage, approximately one-third reported continuous Marketplace enrollment from preconception through the postpartum period. Compared with respondents who were continuously enrolled in Marketplace coverage from preconception through postpartum, respondents who enrolled in Marketplace plans during pregnancy had a 10.8 percent lower rate of adequate prenatal care, a 6.4 percent lower rate of timely prenatal care initiation, and a 13.2 percent lower rate of having twelve or more prenatal care visits. Policies that promote continuity of coverage during pregnancy, such as designating pregnancy as a qualifying event for a Marketplace open enrollment period, may enable pregnant people to enroll in Marketplace coverage early in their pregnancies and thus enhance access to prenatal care.

County-level Predictors of Growth in Community-based Primary Care Use Among Veterans.

BACKGROUND: The 2014 Choice Act expanded the Veterans Health Administration's (VA) capacity to purchase services for VA enrollees from community providers, yet little is known regarding the growth of Veterans' primary care use in community settings. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to measure county-level growth in VA community-based primary care (CBPC) penetration following the Choice Act and to assess whether CBPC penetration increased in rural counties with limited access to VA facilities. DATA AND SAMPLE: A total of 3132 counties from VA administrative data from 2015 to 2018, Area Health Resources Files, and County Health Rankings. ANALYSIS: We defined the county-level CBPC penetration rate as the proportion of VA-purchased primary care out of all VA-purchased primary care (ie, within and outside VA). We estimated county-level multivariate linear regression models to assess whether rurality and supply of primary care providers and health care facilities were significantly associated with CBPC growth. RESULTS: Nationally, CBPC penetration rates increased from 2.7% in 2015 to 7.3% in 2018. The rurality of the county was associated with a 2-3 percentage point (pp) increase in CBPC penetration growth (P<0.001). The presence of a VA facility was associated with a 1.7 pp decrease in CBPC penetration growth (P<0.001), while lower primary care provider supply was associated with a 0.6 pp increase in CBPC growth (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: CBPC as a proportion of all VA-purchased primary care was small but increased nearly 3-fold between 2015 and 2018. Greater increases in CBPC penetration were concentrated in rural counties and counties without a VA facility, suggesting that community care may enhance primary care access in rural areas with less VA presence.

Comparison of Utilization, Costs, and Quality of Medicaid vs Subsidized Private Health Insurance for Low-Income Adults.

Importance: There has been little rigorous evidence to date comparing public vs private health insurance. With policy makers considering a range of policies to expand coverage, understanding the trade-offs between these coverage types is critical. Objective: To compare months of coverage, utilization, quality, and costs between low-income adults with Medicaid vs those with subsidized private (Marketplace) insurance. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used a propensity score-matched sample of adults enrolled in either Medicaid or Marketplace plans at any point between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2015. The sample was restricted to individuals with incomes narrowly above and below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL), which represented the eligibility cutoff between the programs. Data were obtained from 3 state agencies merging comprehensive insurance claims with income eligibility data for Colorado Medicaid expansion and Marketplace enrollees. Income data were linked with an all-payer claims database, and generalized linear models were used to adjust for clinical and demographic confounders. Participants included 8182 low-income nonpregnant adults aged 19 to 64 years enrolled in Medicaid or Marketplace coverage during the 2014 to 2015 period, with incomes between 134% and 143% of the FPL. Exposures: Health insurance through Colorado Medicaid or Colorado's state-based Marketplace. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary analytical approach was a multivariate regression analysis of the propensity score-matched sample. Primary outcomes were months of coverage in Medicaid or Marketplace insurance, office and emergency department (ED) visits, ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalizations, and total costs. For secondary quality outcomes, the propensity score-matched sample was widened to 129% to 148% of the FPL to ensure adequate sample size. Secondary outcomes included prescription drug utilization, types of ED visits, hospitalizations, out-of-pocket costs, and clinical quality measures. Primary data analysis was between September 2018 to July 2019, with revisions finalized in November 2020. Results: The propensity score-matched narrow-income sample included a total of 8182 participants (4091 Medicaid eligible [50%]: mean [SD] age, 42.8 [13.6] years; 2230 women [54.5%]; 4091 Marketplace eligible [50%]: mean [SD] age, 42.7 [13.9] years; 2229 women [54.5%]). Demographic differences across the 2 groups were well balanced, with all standardized mean differences less than 0.10. Marketplace coverage was associated with fewer ED visits (mean, 0.36 [95% CI, 0.32-0.40] visits vs 0.56 [95% CI, 0.50-0.62] visits; P < .001) and more office (outpatient) visits than Medicaid (mean, 2.22 [95% CI, 2.11-2.32] visits vs 1.73 [95% CI, 1.64-1.81] visits; P < .001). No differences in ambulatory care-sensitive hospitalizations were found (0.004 [95% CI, 0.001-0.006] vs 0.007 [95% CI, 0.002-0.011]; P = .15). Total costs were 83% higher in Marketplace coverage (mean, $4553 [95% CI, $3368-$5738] vs $2484 [95% CI, $1760-$3209]; P < .001) owing almost entirely to higher prices, and out-of-pocket costs were 10 times higher (mean, $569 [95% CI, $337-$801] vs $45 [95% CI, $26-$65]; P < .001). Five of 12 secondary quality measures favored private insurance, and 1 favored Medicaid. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional propensity score-matched study, Medicaid and Marketplace coverage differed in important ways. Public coverage through Medicaid was associated with more ED visits and fewer office visits than private Marketplace coverage, which may reflect barriers to outpatient care or lower cost-sharing barriers to ED care in Medicaid. Results suggest that Medicaid coverage was substantially less costly to beneficiaries and society than private coverage, with mixed results on health care quality.

Comparison of Income Eligibility for Medicaid vs Marketplace Coverage for Insurance Enrollment Among Low-Income US Adults.

Importance: The Affordable Care Act created 2 new coverage options for uninsured adults: Medicaid expansion, which in most states provides comprehensive coverage without premiums and deductibles; and private marketplace coverage, which requires a premium contribution and cost-sharing, though with generous federal subsidies at lower incomes. How enrollment rates compare in the marketplace vs Medicaid is an important policy question as states continue to weigh alternative coverage options such as Medicaid buy-in programs, enrolling Medicaid-eligible populations into marketplace plans, or creating a public option. Objective: To assess the association between income eligibility for Medicaid vs marketplace coverage and insurance enrollment among low-income adults in Colorado. Design Setting and Participants: Using 2014 and 2015 all-payer claims data from Colorado and detailed income eligibility information, we used a regression discontinuity design to assess the difference in Medicaid and marketplace enrollment just below and just above 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL), the eligibility threshold between the 2 programs. The sample included nonpregnant adults aged 19 to 64 years with incomes between 75% to 400% FPL. We stratified our analysis by age, sex, chronic condition status, and urban vs rural residence. Analysis was conducted from January to October 2020. Main Outcome and Measures: The main outcome was total enrollment in either Medicaid or marketplace coverage during marketplace's Open Enrollment period. Income-based health insurance eligibility was assessed as a percentage of FPL at the time of initial application for coverage. Results: The primary analytical sample included 32 091 enrollees in 2014 and 55 451 in 2015, with incomes ranging from 120% to 156% FPL. Most enrollees were women (59.26% in 2014, 59.20% in 2015), resided in urban areas (70.36% in 2014, 73.08% in 2015), and had no chronic conditions (74.66% in 2014, 76.11% in 2015). For age, in 2014 and 2015, respectively, 13.22% and 13.93% were aged 19 to 25 years, 27.85% and 28.54% were aged 26 to 34 years, 23.58% and 24.34% were aged 35 to 44 years, 18.35% and 17.75% were aged 45 to 54 years, and 17.00% and 15.44% were aged 55 to 64 years. Marketplace enrollment was 81.3% (95% CI, -86.0% to -75.0%) lower than Medicaid enrollment in 2014 and 88.6% (95% CI, -90.8% to -86.0%) lower in 2015 among those close to the 138% FPL eligibility threshold. The drop-off in marketplace enrollment was largest among younger adults, aged 26 to 34 and 35 to 44 years: relative drop off -88.7% (95% CI, -93.3% to -80.8%) and -87.8% (95% CI, -90.8% to -83.9%) in 2014, and relative drop off -91.9% (95% CI, -94.5% to -87.9%) and -93.0% (95% CI, -94.5% to -91.1%) in 2015, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study using a regression-discontinuity analysis, meaningful gaps in insurance enrollment may have existed for those with incomes just above the eligibility threshold for Medicaid expansion, especially among younger adults. Policies expanding Medicaid income eligibility or zero-dollar premium marketplace plans are likely to be more effective at inducing enrollment than subsidized private plans with premium requirements.

Quality Management Strategies in Medicaid Managed Care: Perspectives From Medicaid, Plans, and Providers.

Medicaid managed care allows Medicaid beneficiaries to receive services through contractual relationships between managed care organizations and state Medicaid offices. Medicaid offices monitor quality of care, and many states encourage or require plans to adopt quality management practices. This research examines quality management in Medicaid managed care from the perspectives of Medicaid officials, managed care plan representatives, and providers through 25 qualitative interviews in one Northeastern state. Plan representatives described quality management efforts as robust and discussed strategies targeting providers and beneficiaries. Medicaid officials indicated motivations for plans to be responsible for quality management. Providers were unaware of plan efforts or reported them to be counterproductive since performance data were thought to be inaccurate or limited, and modest incentive programs presented excessive administrative burden. Providers' general skepticism about managed care plans' quality improvement efforts may hinder their effectiveness, cause frustration, and lead to administrative burden that may harm care quality.