Recent Findings from Oregon Health and Science University Provides New Insights into Medicare and Medicaid (Health Care Utilization Rates After…

Insurance Weekly News

Recent Findings from Oregon Health and Science University Provides New Insights into Medicare and Medicaid (Health Care Utilization Rates After Oregon's 2008 Medicaid Expansion Within-Group and Between-Group Differences Over Time Among New, ...)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Investigators discuss new findings in Medicare and Medicaid. According to news originating from Portland, Oregon, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated, "Although past research demonstrated that Medicaid expansions were associated with increased emergency department (ED) and primary care (PC) utilization, little is known about how long this increased utilization persists or whether postcoverage utilization is affected by prior insurance status. (1) To assess changes in ED, PC, mental and behavioral health care, and specialist care visit rates among individuals gaining Medicaid over 24 months postinsurance gain; and (2) to evaluate the association of previous insurance with utilization."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Oregon Health and Science University, "Using claims data, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of adults insured for 24 months following Oregon's 2008 Medicaid expansion. Utilization rates among 1124 new and 1587 returning enrollees were compared with those among 5126 enrollees with continuous Medicaid coverage (>= 1 y preexpansion). Visit rates were adjusted for propensity score classes and geographic region. PC visit rates in both newly and returning insured individuals significantly exceeded those in the continuously insured in months 4 through 12, but were not significantly elevated in the second year. In contrast, ED utilization rates were significantly higher in returning insured compared with newly or continuously insured individuals and remained elevated over time. New visits to PC and specialist care were higher among those who gained Medicaid compared with the continuously insured throughout the study period. Predicting the effect of insurance expansion on health care utilization should account for the prior coverage history of new enrollees."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "In addition, utilization of outpatient services changes with time after insurance, so expansion evaluations should allow for rate stabilization."

For more information on this research see: Health Care Utilization Rates After Oregon's 2008 Medicaid Expansion Within-Group and Between-Group Differences Over Time Among New, Returning, and Continuously Insured Enrollees. Medical Care, 2016;54(11):984-991. Medical Care can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins - www.lww.com; Medical Care - journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/pages/default.aspx)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from H. Angier, Oregon Health Sciences University, Dept. of Family Med, Portland, OR 97201, United States. Additional authors for this research include M. O'Keeffe-Rosetti, R.A. Lowe, H. Angier, R. Gold, M. Marino, B. Hatch, M. Hoopes, S.R. Bailey, J. Heintzman, C. Gallia and J.E. Devoe.

Keywords for this news article include: Portland, Oregon, United States, North and Central America, Medicare and Medicaid, Health Policy, Medicaid, Oregon Health and Science University.