Studies from Indiana University School of Medicine Further Understanding of Medicaid (Preventive Care Use Among Justice-Involved and…

Managed Care Weekly Digest

Studies from Indiana University School of Medicine Further Understanding of Medicaid (Preventive Care Use Among Justice-Involved and Non-Justice-Involved Youth)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- New research on Medicare and Medicaid - Medicaid is the subject of a report. According to news reporting originating in Indianapolis, Indiana, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, "Youth involved in the juvenile justice system (ie, arrested youth) are at risk for health problems. Although increasing preventive care use by justice-involved youth (JIY) is 1 approach to improving their well-being, little is known about their access to and use of care."

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the Indiana University School of Medicine, "The objective of this study was to determine how rates of well-child (WC) and emergency department visits, as well as public insurance enrollment continuity, differed between youth involved in the justice system and youth who have never been in the system. We hypothesized that JIY would exhibit less frequent WC and more frequent emergency service use than non-justice-involved youth (NJIY). This was a retrospective cohort study of administrative medical and criminal records of all youth (ages 12-18) enrolled in Medicaid in Marion County, Indiana, between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2011. The sample included 88 647 youth; 20 668 (23%) were involved in the justice system. JIY had lower use rates of WC visits and higher use rates of emergency services in comparison with NJIY. JIY had more and longer gaps in Medicaid coverage compared with NJIY. For all youth sampled, both preventive and emergency services use varied significantly by Medicaid enrollment continuity. JIY experience more and longer gaps in Medicaid coverage, and rely more on emergency services than NJIY."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "Medicaid enrollment continuity was associated with differences in WC and emergency service use among JIY, with policy implications for improving preventive care for these vulnerable youth."

For more information on this research see: Preventive Care Use Among Justice-Involved and Non-Justice-Involved Youth. Pediatrics, 2017;140(5):289-295. Pediatrics can be contacted at: Amer Acad Pediatrics, 141 North-West Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Pediatrics - www.journals.elsevier.com/pediatrics-and-neonatology/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting M.C. Aalsma, Indiana Univ Sch Med, Dept. of Pediat, Sect Adolescent Med, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States. Additional authors for this research include V.R. Anderson, K. Schwartz, F.Q. Ouyang, W.Z. Tu, M.B. Rosenman and S.E. Wiehe (see also Medicare and Medicaid - Medicaid).

Keywords for this news article include: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, North and Central America, Medicare and Medicaid, Health Policy, Indiana University School of Medicine.