New Managed Care Findings from East Tennessee State University Reported (Impact of the Choose Well Contraceptive Access Initiative On Method Use Among Women Enrolled In South Carolina’s Medicaid Program: a Mid-line Assessment): Managed Care

2024 JAN 01 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Fresh data on Managed Care are presented in a new report. According to news reporting originating in Johnson City, Tennessee, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “A six-year statewide contraceptive access initiative focused on equitable access to contraception, removing cost barriers, capacity building and training, raising consumer awareness, and expanding contraceptive care at safety net clinics was implemented in South Carolina beginning in 2017. This study assessed changes in contraceptive method use among women enrolled in the South Carolina Medicaid program during the first three years of Choose Well.”

Financial support for this research came from Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from East Tennessee State University, “Contraception use among a retrospective cohort of women aged 15 to 45 enrolled in South Carolina Medicaid from 2012 to 2020 was examined. Interrupted time series regression analysis was used to assess changes in the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) and contraceptive implants between 2012 and 2016 and 2017 and 2020. Analyses were conducted for all women and stratified by age groups. Long-acting reversible contraception use increased from 8.5% during the pre-Choose Well period to 10.9% during the Choose Well period (p < .001), with IUD use increasing from 4.3% to 5.2% (p < .001) and implant use increasing from 4.6% to 6.0% (p < .001). The interrupted time series analysis found a significant positive change in the average level of monthly IUD use after Choose Well began (0.493 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, 0.311-0.675). The effect was stronger among women 20 to 25 years of age. Choose Well significantly increased the trend in IUD use among all women by a positive 0.013 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 0.006-0.020) per month beyond expected values. At the mid-point of the Choose Well Evaluation, the use of IUD methods increased significantly beyond what would be expected had pre-Choose Well trends continued. This was particularly evident among women 20 to 25 years of age.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “These findings suggest that Choose Well succeeded in reducing barriers to the use of IUDs.(.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Impact of the Choose Well Contraceptive Access Initiative On Method Use Among Women Enrolled In South Carolina’s Medicaid Program: a Mid-line Assessment. Women s Health Issues, 2023;33(6):626-635. Women s Health Issues can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Nathan Hale, East Tennessee State University, College of Public Health, Dept. of Health Services Management and Policy, Johnson City, TN, United States. Additional authors for this research include Wondimu S. Manalew, Edward Leinaar, Michael Smith, Amal Khoury and Bisakha Sen.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2023.07.003. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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