Studies from San Diego State University Update Current Data on Pediatrics (Association Between Changes In Parental Medicaid Vision Coverage and Child Use of Vision Care)

2021 FEB 23 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Data detailed on Pediatrics have been presented. According to news reporting originating in San Diego, California, by NewsRx editors, the research stated, “Many low-income children do not receive regular vision care despite the fact that all state Medicaid programs cover these services. The primary objective of this study was to examine whether children were more likely to have at least one past-year eye doctor visit when their parents gained Medicaid vision benefits.”

Financial supporters for this research include William T. Grant Foundation, New York, NY (Officer’s Research Grant), San Diego State University’s Center for Health Economics & Policy Studies, San Diego, CA.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from San Diego State University, “Other indicators of child vision care access (ie, unmet needs for glasses and difficulty seeing) and eye doctor visits among Medicaid-enrolled parents were also assessed. Difference-in-differences regression analysis leveraged within-state changes to Medicaid adult vision benefits. Study samples included 17,345 children with a Medicaid-enrolled parent and 12,219 parents with Medicaid coverage interviewed during the 2000 to 2013 National Health Interview Survey. Providing Medicaid adult vision coverage was associated with a 5.4 percentage point increase (P = .009) in having at least one past-year eye doctor visit among parents and a 2.8 percentage point increase (P = .01) in this measure among children. These estimates represent increases of 22% and 14%, respectively, relative to unadjusted parent and child visit rates over the study period. These effects appeared to be concentrated among older children ages 12 to 17. Estimates for the other measures of child access to vision care were not statistically significant. Providing adult vision benefits was associated with having at least one past-year eye doctor visit among low-income children, and may help to reduce income-based disparities in children’s receipt of vision care.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “This research adds to the limited evidence base on the role of public policy in increasing access to vision services.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Association Between Changes In Parental Medicaid Vision Coverage and Child Use of Vision Care. Academic Pediatrics, 2021;21(1):101-108. Academic Pediatrics can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Academic Pediatrics - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/academic-pediatrics/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Brandy J. Lipton, San Diego State University, School of Public Health, 5500 Campanile Dr, Hardy Tower Room 11, San Diego, CA 92182, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2020.10.007. 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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