Access to Care for Medicare-Medicaid Dually Eligible Beneficiaries: The Role of State Medicaid Payment Policies

Physician Turnover in the United States

BACKGROUND

Medical groups, health systems, and professional associations are concerned about potential increases in physician turnover, which may affect patient access and quality of care.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether turnover has changed over time and whether it is higher for certain types of physicians or practice settings.

DESIGN

The authors developed a novel method using 100% of traditional Medicare billing to create national estimates of turnover. Standardized turnover rates were compared by physician, practice, and patient characteristics.

SETTING

Traditional Medicare, 2010 to 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

Physicians billing traditional Medicare.

MEASUREMENTS

Indicators of physician turnover-physicians who stopped practicing and those who moved from one practice to another-and their sum.

RESULTS

The annual rate of turnover increased from 5.3% to 7.2% between 2010 and 2014, was stable through 2017, and increased modestly in 2018 to 7.6%. Most of the increase from 2010 to 2014 came from physicians who stopped practicing increasing from 1.6% to 3.1%; physicians moving increased modestly from 3.7% to 4.2%. Modest but statistically significant (P < 0.001) differences existed across rurality, physician sex, specialty, and patient characteristics. In the second and third quarters of 2020, quarterly turnover was slightly lower than in the corresponding quarters of 2019.

LIMITATION

Measurement was based on traditional Medicare claims.

CONCLUSION

Over the past decade, physician turnover rates have had periods of increase and stability. These early data, covering the first 3 quarters of 2020, give no indication yet of the COVID-19 pandemic increasing turnover, although continued tracking of turnover is warranted. This novel method will enable future monitoring and further investigations into turnover.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

The Physicians Foundation Center for the Study of Physician Practice and Leadership.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Hospital-Based Care Among Dual Eligibles Who Use Health Centers

Introduction

Health center use may reduce hospital-based care among Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles, but racial and ethnic disparities in this population have not been widely studied. We examined the extent of racial and ethnic disparities in hospital-based care among duals using health centers and the degree to which disparities occur within or between health centers.

Methods

We used 2012-2018 Medicare claims and health center data to model emergency department (ED) visits, observation stays, hospitalizations, and 30-day unplanned returns as a function of race and ethnicity among dual eligibles using health centers.

Results

In rural and urban counties, age-eligible Black individuals had more ED visits (7.9 [4.0, 11.7] and 13.7 [10.0, 17.4] per 100 person-years) and were more likely to experience an unplanned return (1.4 [0.4, 2.4] and 1 [0.4, 1.6] percentage points [pp]) than White individuals, but were less likely to be hospitalized (-3.3 [-3.9, -2.8] and -1.2 [-1.6, -0.9] pp). In urban counties, age-eligible Black individuals were 1.2 [0.9, 1.5] pp more likely than White individuals to have observation stays. Other racial and ethnic groups used the same or less hospital-based care than White individuals. Including state and health center fixed effects eliminated Black versus White disparities in all outcomes, except hospitalization. Results were similar among disability-eligible duals.

Conclusion

Racial and ethnic disparities in hospital-based care among dual eligibles are less common within than between health centers. If health centers are to play a more central role in eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities, these differences across health centers must be understood and addressed.

Characterizing the Uptake of Newly Opened Health Centers by Individuals Dually Enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) increasingly provide high-quality, cost-effective primary care to individuals dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. However, not everyone can access an FQHC. We used 2012 to 2018 Medicare claims and federally collected FQHC data to examine communities where an FQHC first opened and determine which dual eligibles used it. Overall uptake was 10%, ranging from 6.6% among age-eligible urban residents to 14.8% among disability-eligible rural residents. Community-level uptake ranged from 0% to 76.4% (median = 5.5%; interquartile range = 2.8%-11.3%). Certain subpopulations of dual eligibles are significantly more likely to use FQHCs. Our findings should inform the targeting of future FQHC expansions.

Characteristics, utilization, and concentration of outpatient care for dual-eligible Medicare beneficiaries

OBJECTIVES

To characterize the (1) distribution of outpatient care for dual-eligible Medicare beneficiaries ("duals") and (2) intensity of outpatient care utilization of duals vs non-dual-eligible beneficiaries ("nonduals").

STUDY DESIGN

Using data preceding the introduction of several outpatient alternative payment models, as well as Medicaid expansion, we evaluated the distribution of outpatient care across physician practices using a Lorenz curve and compared utilization of different outpatient services between duals and nonduals.

METHODS

We defined practices that did (high dual) and did not (low dual and no dual) account for the large majority of visits based on the Lorenz curve and then performed descriptive statistics between these groups of practices. Practice-level outcomes included patient demographics, practice characteristics, and county measures of structural disadvantage and population health. Patient-level outcomes included number of outpatient visits and unique outpatient physicians, primary vs subspecialty care visits, and expenditures.

RESULTS

Nearly 80% of outpatient visits for duals were provided by 35% of practices. Compared with low-dual and no-dual practices, high-dual practices served more patients (1117.6 patients per high-dual practice vs 683.8 patients per low-dual practice and 447.5 patients per no-dual practice; P < .001) with more comorbidities (3.9 mean total Elixhauser comorbidities among patients served by high-dual practices vs 3.6 among low-dual practices and 3.3 among no-dual practices; P < .001). With regard to utilization, duals had 2 fewer outpatient visits per year compared with nonduals (13.3 vs 15.2; P < .001), with particularly fewer subspecialty care visits (6.5 vs 7.9; P < .001) despite having more comorbidities (3.5 vs 2.7; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Outpatient care for duals was concentrated among a small number of practices. Despite having more chronic conditions, duals had fewer outpatient visits. Duals and the practices that serve them may benefit from targeted policies to promote access and improve outcomes.

Health center use and hospital-based care among individuals dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, 2012-2018

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between federally qualified health center (FQHC) use and hospital-based care among individuals dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid.

DATA SOURCES

Data were obtained from 2012 to 2018 Medicare claims.

STUDY DESIGN

We modeled hospital-based care as a function of FQHC use, person-level factors, a Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) indicator, and ZIP code fixed effects. Outcomes included emergency department (ED) visits (overall and nonemergent), observation stays, hospitalizations (overall and for ambulatory care sensitive conditions), and 30-day unplanned returns. We stratified all models on the basis of eligibility and rurality.

DATA EXTRACTION METHODS

Our sample included individuals dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid for at least two full consecutive years, residing in a primary care service area with an FQHC. We excluded individuals without primary care visits, who died, or had end-stage renal disease.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

After the Medicare PPS was introduced, FQHC use in rural counties was associated with fewer ED and nonemergent ED visits per 100 person-years among both age-eligible (-14.8 [-17.5, -12.1]; -6.6 [-7.5, -5.6]) and disability-eligible duals (-11.3 [-14.4, -8.3]; -6 [-7.4, -4.6]) as well as a lower probability of observation stays (-0.8 pp age-eligible; -0.4 pp disability-eligible) and unplanned returns (-2.1 pp age-eligible; -1.9 pp disability-eligible). In urban counties, FQHC use was associated with more ED and nonemergent ED visits per 100 person-years (10.6 [8.4, 12.8]; 4.0 [2.6, 5.4]) among disability-eligible duals (a decrease of more than 60% compared with the pre-PPS period) and increases in the probability of hospitalization (1.1 pp age-eligible; 0.8 pp disability-eligible) and ACS hospitalization (0.5 pp age-eligible; 0.3 pp disability-eligible) (a decrease of roughly 50% compared with the pre-PPS period).

CONCLUSIONS

FQHC use is associated with reductions in hospital-based care among dual enrollees after introduction of the Medicare PPS. Further research is needed to understand how FQHCs can tailor care to best serve this complex population.

Effects of the Full Coverage Policy of Essential Medicines on Inequality in Medication Adherence: A Longitudinal Study in Taizhou, China

The full coverage policy for essential medicines (FCPEMs) was proposed and implemented in Taizhou city of Zhejiang Province, China, to promote equal access and adherence to medicines. This study aimed to examine the effects of FCPEMs on the income-related inequality in medication adherence among local patients with hypertension or diabetes. We collected electronic health records of patients with hypertension or diabetes of three districts of Taizhou from 2011 to 2016. As the implementation schedule of the FCPEMs varied across districts, we applied a retrospective longitudinal study design and assigned records from 1 year before to 3 years following the implementation of FCPEMs as baseline and follow-up data. We thus generated a dataset with 4-year longitudinal data. The concentration index (CI) and its decomposition method were employed to measure factors contributing to inequality in medication adherence and the role played by FCPEMs. The sample size rose from 264,836 at the baseline to 315,677, 340,512, and 355,676 by each follow-up year, and the proportion of patients taking free medicines rose from 17.6 to 25.0 and 29.8% after FCPEMs implementation. The proportion of patients with high adherence increased from 39.9% at baseline to 51.6, 57.2, and 60.5%, while CI decreased from 0.073 to −0.011, −0.029, and −0.035. The contribution of FCPEMs ranked at 2nd/13, 7th/13, and 2nd/13 after the implementation of FCPEMs. Changes in CI of medication adherence for every 2 years were −0.084, −0.018, and −0.006, and the contribution of FCPEMs was −0.006, 0.006, and 0.007, ranking at 2nd/13, 2nd/13, and 1st/13, respectively. Most changes in CI of medication adherence can be attributed to FCPEMs. The medication adherence of patients with hypertension or diabetes improved after the implementation FCPEMs in Taizhou, although inequality did not improve consistently. In general, FCPEMs could be a protective factor against income-related inequalities in access and adherence to medicines. Future research is needed to investigate the change mechanism and the optimal design of similar interventions.

Factors Associated with Free Medicine Use in Patients with Hypertension and Diabetes: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study on Full Coverage Policy for Essential Medicines in Taizhou, China

Full coverage policies for medicines have been implemented worldwide to alleviate medicine cost burden and promote access to medicines. However, few studies have explored the factors associated with free medicine use in patients with chronic diseases. This study aimed to analyze the utilization of free medicines by patients with hypertension and diabetes after the implementation of the full coverage policy for essential medicines (FCPEM) in Taizhou, China, and to explore the factors associated with free medicine use. We conducted a descriptive analysis of characteristics of patients with and without free medicine use and performed a panel logit model to examine factors associated with free medicine use, based on an electronic health record database in Taizhou from the baseline year (12 months in priori) to three years after FCPEM implementation. After FCPEM implementation, the proportion of patients without any free medicine use decreased from 31.1% in the baseline year to 28.9% in the third year, while that of patients taking free medicines rose from 11.0% to 22.8%. Patients with lower income or education level, those with agricultural hukou, patients aged 65 and above, married patients, and patients in the Huangyan district were more likely to take free medicines. In conclusion, FCPEM contributed to improved medicine access, especially in vulnerable populations. Local policy makers should consider expanding the coverage of FCPEM to other types of medicines and cultivate the potential of social supports for patients to enhance the effectiveness of FCPEM policies.

New evidence of state variation in Medicaid payment policies for dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees

OBJECTIVE

To develop the first longitudinal database of state Medicaid policies for paying the cost sharing in Medicare Part B for services provided to dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees ("duals") and an index summarizing the impact of these policies on payments for physician office services.

DATA SOURCES

Medicaid policy data collected from electronic sources and inquiries with states.

STUDY DESIGN

We constructed a national database of Medicaid payment policies for the period 2004-2018, consolidating information from online Medicaid policy documents, state laws, and policy data reported to us by state Medicaid programs. Using this database and state Medicaid fee schedules, we constructed a Medicaid payment index for duals. This index represented the proportion of the Medicare allowed amount that physicians would expect to be paid from Medicare and Medicaid for a subset of physician office services (evaluation and management services) based on annual state payment policies and Medicaid fee schedules.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

In 2018, 42 states had policies to limit Medicaid payments of Medicare cost sharing when Medicaid's fee schedule was lower than Medicare's-an increase from 36 such states in 2004. In the preponderance of states with these policies, combined Medicare and Medicaid payments for evaluation and management services provided to duals averaged 78 percent of the Medicare allowed amount for these services, reflecting relatively low Medicaid fee schedules in these states. In 2013 and 2014, physicians who qualified for the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid "fee bump" were paid 100 percent of the Medicare allowed amount for these services.

CONCLUSIONS

Medicaid programs vary across states and over time in their payments of cost sharing for physician office services provided to duals. Our database and index can facilitate monitoring of these policies and research on the consequences of policy changes for duals.

Does Medicaid coverage of Medicare cost sharing affect physician care for dual-eligible Medicare beneficiaries?

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in physicians' provision of care to duals (low-income individuals with Medicare and Medicaid) in response to a policy that required Medicaid to fully pay Medicare's cost sharing for office visits with these patients. This policy-a provision of the Affordable Care Act-effectively increased payments for office visits with duals by 0%-20%, depending on the state, in 2013 and 2014.

DATA SOURCES

Fee-for-service claims for a 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries in 2010-2016.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a difference-in-differences analysis to compare changes in office visits among Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMBs)-the largest subpopulation of duals for whom payment rates were affected by this policy-to changes among other low-income Medicare beneficiaries for whom payment rates were unaffected (pooled across all states). Next, we conducted a triple-differences analysis that compared changes between QMBs and other low-income beneficiaries in 33 states with payment rate increases of approximately 20% to analogous changes in 14 states without payment increases.

DATA COLLECTION

The study included administrative Medicare enrollment and claims data for QMBs and a comparison group of other low-income Medicare beneficiaries (1 914 073 beneficiary-years from 2010 to 2016).

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Nationally, we did not find a differential increase in office visits among QMBs versus other low-income beneficiaries that coincided with this payment change. In the triple-differences analysis, we did not observe a greater increase in visits among QMBs vs other low-income beneficiaries in states where the policy resulted in large (approximately 20%) increases in payment rates vs states where payment rates were unaffected (triple-differences estimate: -0.12 annual visits, 95% CI: -0.28, 0.04; P = 0.15).

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians' provision of care to low-income Medicare beneficiaries may not be responsive to short-run payment changes.

Association Of State Policies With Medicaid Disenrollment Among Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries

For some low-income Medicare beneficiaries, Medicaid provides financial protection against Medicare's out-of-pocket costs, but many Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for Medicaid are not continuously enrolled. We examined Medicaid disenrollment among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries and the relationship between disenrollment and state policies. In the period 2012-16, 18.2 percent of Medicare beneficiaries who received full or partial Medicaid disenrolled for reasons other than death. More than 50 percent of Medicare beneficiaries who remained without Medicaid one year after disenrolling continued to receive low-income subsidies for Medicare Part D coverage with eligibility requirements similar to those of Medicaid. Among Medicare beneficiaries with continuous Part D subsidies, the rate of Medicaid disenrollment was 24 percent lower in states that automatically enrolled recipients of the federal Supplemental Security Income program in full Medicaid, 33 percent lower in states with more generous provider payment policies, and 37 percent lower in states with less restrictive asset limits for partial Medicaid. Policies that make it easier for people to maintain Medicaid eligibility and that enhance access to care in Medicaid via higher provider reimbursements may reduce disenrollment.

Effects of improvements in the CPS on the estimated prevalence of medical financial burdens

OBJECTIVE

To measure the effects of questionnaire and imputation improvements in the Current Population Survey (CPS) on the estimated prevalence of high medical financial burden, that is, families spending more than 10 percent of income on medical care.

DATA SOURCE

Matched longitudinal sample of CPS data for 2013 and 2014 calendar years.

STUDY DESIGN

The CPS used a split-sample design to field traditional and redesigned questions about 2013 income, and old and new out-of-pocket premium imputation procedures, respectively. For both samples, CPS data for 2014 were from the redesigned income questions and the new imputation procedures. We quantify the effects of the combined survey improvements using differences-in-differences methods.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

The improvements were not associated with changes in the estimate of burden in the full sample. Estimated prevalence increased by 2.6 percentage points among nonelderly adults with private insurance, decreased by 6.6 percentage points among nonelderly adults with public coverage, and decreased by 5.8 percentage points among elderly adults with Medicare and no private coverage.

CONCLUSIONS

Improvements in the CPS changed the estimated prevalence of high medical financial burden among key subgroups. Researchers should use caution when tracking burden across the time-period in which these improvements were implemented.