Survey-Reported Coverage in 2019-2022 and Implications for Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Eligibility.

Importance: Policy changes and the COVID-19 pandemic affected health coverage rates, and the "unwinding" of Medicaid's continuous coverage provision in 2023 and 2024 may cause widespread coverage loss. Recent coverage patterns in national survey and administrative data can inform these issues. Objective: To assess national and state changes in survey-based Medicaid, private insurance, and uninsured rates between 2019 and 2022, as well as how these changes compare with administrative Medicaid enrollment totals. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study analyzes nationally representative survey data for all US residents in the American Community Survey (ACS) from 2019 to 2022 compared with administrative data on Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Data analysis was conducted between June 2023 and January 2024. Exposures: The COVID-19 pandemic, the Medicaid continuous coverage provision, and policy efforts to increase Marketplace coverage. Main Outcomes and Measures: Medicaid coverage (self-reported [ACS] and administratively recorded [CMS]), survey-reported uninsured, Medicare, and private insurance status. Results: A nationally representative sample consisted of 12 506 584 US residents of all ages (survey-weighted 59.7% aged 19-64 years and 50.6% female). CMS statistics showed an increase in Medicaid coverage of 5.2 percentage points as a share of the population from 2019 to 2022. However, changes in the uninsured rate and survey-reported Medicaid were smaller: -1.2 (95% CI, -1.3 to -1.2) percentage points and 1.3 (95% CI, 1.2-1.4) percentage points, respectively. There was a 3.9 percentage point increase in the ACS's "undercount" of Medicaid enrollment, compared with CMS data, from 2019 to 2022. This undercount was larger among children than adults but smaller in states that recently expanded Medicaid. Rates of additional forms of coverage (such as private insurance) among those in Medicaid also grew during this time. Conclusion and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, the uninsured rate declined considerably from 2019 to 2022 but was just one-fourth as large as the growth in administrative Medicaid enrollment under the pandemic continuous coverage provision. Survey-based Medicaid growth was far smaller than administrative growth. This suggests that many people who remained enrolled in Medicaid during the pandemic did not realize that their coverage had continued. These findings have implications for projecting uninsured changes during unwinding, as well as the effect of continuous coverage policies on continuity of care.

Reconsidering and Measuring Patient Access in Medicaid.

This JAMA Forum discusses the ways that policymakers can use different metrics that are more meaningful to patients when measuring patient access to treatment in the Medicaid program.

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.

Why Cost Sharing on Its Own Will Not Fix Health Care Costs.

This Viewpoint describes issues with cost sharing for health care costs and suggests improvements to current cost sharing systems.

Climate-Informed Patient Care as a Social Determinant of Health.

This JAMA Forum discusses the implications for patient care by recognizing climate change as a social determinant of health.

Clinical Risk and Outpatient Therapy Utilization for COVID-19 in the Medicare Population.

Importance: Multiple therapies are available for outpatient treatment of COVID-19 that are highly effective at preventing hospitalization and mortality. Although racial and socioeconomic disparities in use of these therapies have been documented, limited evidence exists on what factors explain differences in use and the potential public health relevance of these differences. Objective: To assess COVID-19 outpatient treatment utilization in the Medicare population and simulate the potential outcome of allocating treatment according to patient risk for severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study included patients enrolled in Medicare in 2022 across the US, identified with 100% Medicare fee-for-service claims. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was any COVID-19 outpatient therapy utilization. Secondary outcomes included COVID-19 testing, ambulatory visits, and hospitalization. Differences in outcomes were estimated based on patient demographics, treatment contraindications, and a composite risk score for mortality after COVID-19 based on demographics and comorbidities. A simulation of reallocating COVID-19 treatment, particularly with nirmatrelvir, to those at high risk of severe disease was performed, and the potential COVID-19 hospitalizations and mortality outcomes were assessed. Results: In 2022, 6.0% of 20 026 910 beneficiaries received outpatient COVID-19 treatment, 40.5% of which had no associated COVID-19 diagnosis within 10 days. Patients with higher risk for severe disease received less outpatient treatment, such as 6.4% of those aged 65 to 69 years compared with 4.9% of those 90 years and older (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.64 [95% CI, 0.62-0.65]) and 6.4% of White patients compared with 3.0% of Black patients (aOR, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.54-0.58]). In the highest COVID-19 severity risk quintile, 2.6% were hospitalized for COVID-19 and 4.9% received outpatient treatment, compared with 0.2% and 7.5% in the lowest quintile. These patterns were similar among patients with a documented COVID-19 diagnosis, those with no claims for vaccination, and patients who are insured with Medicare Advantage. Differences were not explained by variable COVID-19 testing, ambulatory visits, or treatment contraindications. Reallocation of 2022 outpatient COVID-19 treatment, particularly with nirmatrelvir, based on risk for severe COVID-19 would have averted 16 503 COVID-19 deaths (16.3%) in the sample. Conclusion: In this cross-sectional study, outpatient COVID-19 treatment was disproportionately accessed by beneficiaries at lower risk for severe infection, undermining its potential public health benefit. Undertreatment was not driven by lack of clinical access or treatment contraindications.

Worse Access, Quality, and Leadership-Redressing the Affirmative Action Ruling's Litany of Harms.

This JAMA Forum discusses the US Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action in the context of the potential harms to access to care, quality of care, and leadership for the health care system.

Medicare Switching: Patterns Of Enrollment Growth In Medicare Advantage, 2006-22.

Medicare Advantage (MA) has grown rapidly over the course of the past two decades and is projected to continue to grow. We examined sources of new enrollment in MA and analyzed the switching patterns between MA and traditional fee-for-service Medicare, using more recent and more detailed data than in previous analyses. We found that switching from fee-for-service Medicare to MA more than tripled between 2006 and 2022, whereas switching from MA to fee-for-service Medicare decreased, with the change rates accelerating since 2019. The share of switchers among all new MA enrollees rose from 61 percent in 2011 to 80 percent in 2022. Black, dual-eligible, and disabled beneficiaries had higher odds of switching in both directions, whereas younger and healthier beneficiaries had higher odds of switching from fee-for-service Medicare to MA but lower odds of switching from MA to fee-for-service Medicare. Two-thirds of annual switching between MA and fee-for-service Medicare in 2022 occurred in January, likely reflecting the open enrollment period.

Monoclonal Antibody and Oral Antiviral Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in US Nursing Homes.

This study examines the use of COVID-19 antiviral treatments in US nursing homes and the facility characteristics associated with use of oral antivirals and monoclonal antibodies.

New Federal Efforts to Address Food and Nutrition Insecurity.

This JAMA Forum discusses the expansion and improvement of federal food and nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, to combat food insecurity.

Differences in Diabetic Prescription Drug Utilization and Costs Among Patients With Diabetes Enrolled in Colorado Marketplace and Medicaid Plans, 2014-2015.

Importance: Increasing prices of antidiabetic medications in the US have raised substantial concerns about the effects of drug affordability on diabetes care. There has been little rigorous evidence comparing the experiences of patients with diabetes across different types of insurance coverage. Objective: To compare the utilization patterns and costs of prescription drugs to treat diabetes among low-income adults with Medicaid vs those with Marketplace insurance in Colorado during 2014 and 2015. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study included diabetic patients enrolled in Colorado Medicaid and Marketplace plans who were aged 19 to 64 years and had incomes between 75% and 200% of the federal poverty level during 2014 and 2015. Data analysis was conducted from September 2020 to April 2021. Exposures: Health insurance through Colorado Medicaid or Colorado's state-based Marketplace. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were drug utilization (prescription drug fills) and drug costs (total costs and out-of-pocket costs). The secondary outcome was months with an active prescription for noninsulin antidiabetic medications. An all payer claims database was combined with income data, and linear models were used to adjust for clinical and demographic confounders. Results: Of 22 788 diabetic patients included in the study, 20 245 were enrolled in Medicaid and 2543 in a Marketplace plan. Marketplace-eligible individuals were older (mean [SD] age, 52.12 [10.60] vs 47.70 [11.33] years), and Medicaid-eligible individuals were more likely to be female (12 429 [61.4%] vs 1413 [55.6%]). Medicaid-eligible patients were significantly more likely than Marketplace-eligible patients to fill prescriptions for dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (adjusted difference, -3.7%; 95% CI, -5.3 to -2.1; P < .001) and sulfonylureas (adjusted difference, -6.6%; 95% CI, -8.9 to -4.3; P < .001). Overall rates of insulin use were similar in the 2 groups (adjusted difference, -2.3%; -5.1 to 0.5; P = .11). Out-of-pocket costs for noninsulin medications were 84.4% to 95.2% lower and total costs were 9.4% to 54.2% lower in Medicaid than in Marketplace plans. Out-of-pocket costs for insulin were 76.7% to 94.7% lower in Medicaid than in Marketplace plans, whereas differences in total insulin costs were mixed. The percentage of months of apparent active medication coverage was similar between the 2 groups for 4 of 5 drug classes examined, with Marketplace-eligible patients having a greater percentage of months than Medicaid-eligible patients for sulfonylureas (adjusted difference, 5.3%; 95% CI, 0.3%-10.4%; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, drug utilization across multiple drug classes was higher and drug costs were significantly lower for adults with diabetes enrolled in Medicaid than for those with subsidized Marketplace plans. Patients with Marketplace coverage had a similar percentage of months with an active prescription as patients with Medicaid coverage.

Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act: Changes in Coverage and Access to Care by Documentation Status.

Little is known about the effects of the ACA's coverage expansion among immigrant groups of differing immigration status. Using data from the California Health Interview Survey (2003-2016), we compare changes in health coverage and access to care among immigrants in California before and after implementation of the ACA. We find that the ACA has led to major gains in coverage for lawful permanent residents in California, similar in scope to changes among citizens. However, unauthorized immigrants have experienced only modest increases in coverage, with the result disparity in uninsured rates for this group relative to citizens and permanent residents widening considerably since 2014. Findings indicate a significant increase in having a usual source of care across all groups, but without a significant change in disparities for this outcome. Our results have important implications for the intersection of health policy, immigration, and health equity.

Dental Outcomes After Medicaid Insurance Coverage Expansion Under the Affordable Care Act.

Importance: Dental coverage for adults is a state option in Medicaid, and despite significant gains in coverage after the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), dental outcomes among adults in expansion states remain unexplored. Objective: To explore the association of state coverage of dental benefits through Medicaid expansion with clinical dental outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2009 to 2018. Included participants were low-income adults aged 19 to 64 years with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level. The study used a difference-in-differences analysis to compare changes from before to after ACA expansion in expansion states vs in control states. Changes were examined in the full sample and separately in states that did and did not provide Medicaid adult dental benefits. We defined a state as providing Medicaid adult dental benefits if it covered services beyond emergency dental benefits in 2014. Data were analyzed from November 2020 to March 2021. Exposures: Medicaid expansion under the ACA. Main Outcomes and Measures: Rates of health coverage, having a dental visit, affordability of dental care in the past year, poor oral health, and teeth flossing were obtained from self-reported data. Mean number of missing teeth and prevalence of untreated decayed teeth, filled teeth, and functional dentition were obtained from clinical examination data. Results: Among 7637 low-income adults, the mean (SD) age was 37.8 (13.4) years and 4153 (weighted percentage, 54.5 %) were women. At baseline, 1732 low-income adults in nonexpansion states compared with 2520 low-income adults in expansion states were more likely, as shown by weighted percentage, to be Black (473 individuals [21.0%] vs 508 individuals [15.1%]) and US born (1281 individuals [76.7%] vs 1613 individuals [69.6%]). In the full sample, Medicaid expansion, compared with nonexpansion, was associated with an increased rate of seeing a dentist in the prior year (12.4 percentage points; 95% CI 4.6 to 20.2 percentage points; P = .003). In expansion states that provided dental benefits, compared with nonexpansion states that provided dental benefits, the expansion was associated with increases in rates of Medicaid coverage (8.2 percentage points; 95%CI 0.5 to 15.8 percentage points; P = .04) and having seen a dentist in the previous year (11.4 percentage points, 95% CI, 3.7 to 19.1 percentage points; P = .006) and decreases in the uninsured rate (-12.6 percentage points, 95% CI -18.9 to -6.4 percentage points; P < .001) and prevalence of untreated decayed teeth (-16.8 percentage points; 95% CI, -25.5 to -8.0 percentage points; P = .001). In states without Medicaid dental benefits, the expansion was associated with an increase in the mean number of missing teeth (1.3 teeth; 95% CI 0.1 to 2.5 percentage points; P = .04) and a decrease in the prevalence of functional dentition (-8.7 percentage points; 95% CI, -14.1 to -3.3 percentage points; P = .003) compared with nonexpansion states. Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that the combination of Medicaid expansion and coverage of Medicaid dental benefits was associated with improved oral health among low-income adults.