Psychiatrist Networks In Medicare Advantage Plans Are Substantially Narrower Than In Medicaid And ACA Markets

State Policy Strategies to Promote the Recruitment and Retention of the Behavioral Health Workforce

Policy Points To address persistent gaps in behavioral health care access and availability, particularly for underresourced populations, state policymakers have implemented four core strategies to address the shortage of behavioral health providers serving the Medicaid population. In this paper, we describe each of these state policy strategies, discuss their potential workforce and service impacts, and highlight unanswered questions about their effectiveness and implementation. Altogether, our review of these policy strategies suggests that rigorous evaluation of these state policy strategies is needed along with broader transformations to the behavioral health system to sustainably grow and retain the workforce in the long term.

Reported Strategies by Medicaid Managed Care Organizations to Improve Access to Behavioral Health Services

Policy Points Despite the growing role of managed care organizations (MCOs) in financing and delivering behavioral health services in Medicaid, little is known about MCO strategies to overcome critical access barriers and the factors influencing these strategies. Through semistructured interviews of 27 administrators and executives across 19 local, regional, and national Medicaid MCOs, we describe a number of reported approaches to enhance behavioral health access: 1) contracting with core groups of Medicaid-focused behavioral health providers to provide a substantial share of care, and 2) targeted strategies to enhance the existing workforce through outreach, training, and workforce support programs; rate enhancements; telehealth and mobile unit care models; and high-touch case management. Findings highlight MCO perspectives on barriers and facilitators of access to behavioral health care, as well potential strategies that hold promise for other MCOs. Future research should evaluate the outcomes associated with these strategies and identify best practices that can be adapted across MCOs.

CONTEXT

Behavioral health access gaps are well documented in Medicaid, in which managed care now covers most enrollees, and for which there are typically fewer options for going out-of-network for care. Despite the growing role of managed care organizations (MCOs) in financing and delivering behavioral health services, little is known about MCO levers that can improve access to care.

METHODS

We interviewed 27 administrators and executives across 19 Medicaid MCO carriers with local, regional, or national operating presence to understand strategies to address behavioral health access barriers and the factors influencing these strategies. To achieve maximum heterogeneity, we employed iterative purposive sampling using a sampling matrix of plan and state characteristics. One-hour interviews were recorded, professionally transcribed, and analyzed using a coding scheme that was developed iteratively. Codes were bundled into major themes after iterative discussions, with analysis conducted at the MCO level.

FINDINGS

MCOs perceived acute access challenges for children and adolescents, rural geographies, and crisis and transitional services. To address these challenges, MCOs reported contracting with core groups of Medicaid-focused behavioral health providers, supplemented with targeted strategies to enhance the existing workforce. These strategies focused on enhancing provider retention and capacity through outreach, training, and workforce support programs; rate enhancements; telehealth and mobile unit care models; and high-touch case management to align members to appropriate providers or service levels. Strategies were influenced by state policy contexts, including by regional financing and organization of behavioral health services, rate setting procedures, and administrative and regulatory requirements.

CONCLUSIONS

As state Medicaid programs increasingly grapple with behavioral health access gaps, understanding MCO approaches and common challenges may help policymakers better align resources, incentives, and regulations centered on improving existing gaps in accessing behavioral health care. Future research should evaluate the outcomes associated with MCO perceptions and accompanying strategies and identify best practices that can be adapted across MCOs.

Out-Of-Network Utilization and Plan Selection Among Medicare Advantage Cost Plan Enrollees

OBJECTIVE

To understand how Medicare Advantage (MA) networks impact utilization patterns and plan choices, using the 2019 discontinuation of MA 1876 Cost plans as a natural experiment.

STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN

We study 1876 Cost plans, MA plans for which out-of-network care is covered through traditional Medicare (TM) and many of which CMS discontinued in 2019. We characterize the proportion of Cost plan enrollees who utilized out-of-network care in 2018 from different types of medical specialties. We then study how enrollees in discontinued plans selected into new plans in 2019. We use regression analysis to characterize whether higher risk enrollees selected into TM at higher rates.

DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE

We identify discontinued plans using public MA plan data. We employ administrative Medicare enrollment and TM claims data to identify 2018 enrollees of discontinued plans, their 2018 out-of-network utilization, and their subsequent 2019 enrollment decisions.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Among Cost plan enrollees, 69% utilized non-emergency room related care out of network in 2018. Out-of-network utilization was distributed across several types of specialties: 43% of Cost plan enrollees had at least one out-of-network claim with a primary care physician and over 20% had a claim with a medical specialist, surgical specialist, or nurse practitioner. We find evidence of adverse selection among enrollees of discontinued Cost plans in 2019. Conditional on one's 2018 Cost plan and county of residence, a standard deviation increase in risk score was on average associated with a 26.35% (95% CI, 25.57%-27.12%) increased likelihood of enrolling in TM.

CONCLUSION

The high rate of out-of-network utilization suggests that MA enrollees value access to care outside of standard MA networks. Subsequent selection patterns indicate that preferences for broader networks and subsequent enrollment in TM is highest among higher risk enrollees, suggesting limited networks may induce extensive margin selection.

Radiotherapy Utilization in Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage

Importance

As more than 50% of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA), understanding whether the treatment covered by MA vs traditional Medicare (TM) is comparable can aid in providing high-value care. As the majority of patients with cancer undergo radiotherapy, it is important to quantify TM and MA utilization in oncology.

Objective

To analyze the primary type of radiotherapy technology used, treatment length, and estimated spending for MA patients with cancer undergoing radiotherapy compared with TM patients with cancer.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective cross-sectional study used 2018 Medicare claims data for TM and MA patients aged 65 years or older who received radiotherapy for 1 of 15 cancer types. Analyses were performed between May 1 and December 28, 2024.

Exposures

Insurance type (MA vs TM), cancer type, age, dual-eligibility status, medical comorbidities, county, and radiotherapy center type.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Primary type of radiotherapy technology used, treatment length, and estimated spending for 90-day radiotherapy episodes. Adjusted rates and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to compare technology types and rate ratios (RRs) to compare treatment length and estimated spending between TM and MA episodes.

Results

Of 31 563 treatment episodes among 30 941 patients, 22 594 (71.58%) were covered by TM (mean [SD] age, 74.76 [6.57] years; 50.76% among males) and 8969 (28.42%) were covered by MA (mean [SD] age, 74.51 [6.24] years; 51.78% among males). For radiotherapy episodes in patients with MA, adjusted analyses revealed lower odds of proton therapy use (52 [0.58% (95% CI, 0.34%-0.82%)] vs 373 [1.65% (95% CI, 1.50%-1.80%)]; OR, 0.36 [95% CI, 0.27-0.48]) and stereotactic radiotherapy use (1235 [13.77% (95% CI, 13.13%-14.41%)] vs 3391 [15.01% (95% CI, 14.61%-15.41%)]; OR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.81-0.95]), higher odds of 2- or 3-dimensional radiotherapy use (3962 [44.17% (95% CI, 43.39%-44.96%)] vs 9584 [42.43% (95% CI, 41.93%-42.92%)]; OR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.06-1.21]), greater mean treatment length (21.38 [95% CI, 21.14-21.61] vs 19.48 [95% CI, 19.33-19.62] treatments; RR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.08-1.11]), and higher estimated radiotherapy spending ($8677.56 [95% CI, $8566.58-$8788.54] vs $8393.20 [95% CI, $8323.34-$8463.05]; RR, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.02-1.06]) compared with episodes in patients with TM.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study, MA patients with cancer undergoing radiotherapy had higher estimated spending and greater mean treatment length than those covered by TM. Despite lower utilization of more expensive advanced treatment modalities, MA was not associated with cost savings. Whether MA meets the value proposition for radiation oncology requires further investigation.

Association of Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations and postpartum mental health care utilization

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of Massachusetts Medicaid Accountable Care Organization (ACO) implementation with changes in mental health care utilization in the postpartum period.

STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN

We examine care for people with a birth covered by Medicaid or private insurance. We used a difference-in-differences design to compare differences before and after Medicaid ACO implementation for those with Medicaid versus those with private insurance. The primary outcome was a binary measure of having at least one outpatient mental health care visit in the 6 months postpartum. We estimated linear probability models controlling for age, prenatal mental illness, pregnancy complications, birth mode, and ZIP code characteristics.

DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE

Data are from the Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database. The analytic sample included Massachusetts residents with a live birth between July 1, 2016, and September 30, 2019, with complete data.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

107,813 births were included (53.0% Medicaid, 47.0% private). 7.8% of these had at least one outpatient mental health visit in the 6 months postpartum, with similar rates among those with Medicaid versus those with private insurance pre-ACO implementation (7.9% Medicaid versus 7.7% private). An increase in utilization among privately insured individuals and a decrease among Medicaid beneficiaries post-ACO implementation was observed. Regression-adjusted difference-in-differences estimates indicate that Medicaid ACO implementation was associated with a 1.3 percentage point [pp] decrease (95% confidence interval: 1.3 pp, -0.5 pp; p < 0.01) in the probability of having an outpatient mental health visit for those with Medicaid.

CONCLUSIONS

Medicaid ACO implementation was associated with decreases in use of outpatient mental health care in the postpartum period among people with Medicaid, overall and compared to those with private insurance. Future research should determine whether this increased disparity in mental health care utilization persists with maturation of the ACO delivery model.

Enrollment in Medicare is associated with fewer outpatient mental healthcare visits among those with mental health symptoms

OBJECTIVE

To test whether enrolling in traditional Medicare (TM) or Medicare Advantage (MA) at age 65 reduces mental healthcare utilization among individuals with mental health symptoms and low or moderate family incomes.

STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN

We employ a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, comparing the likelihood of having an outpatient mental health visit or a psychotropic drug fill among individuals younger than or older than the age 65 Medicare eligibility threshold.

DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE

We analyze 2014-2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Our primary sample is restricted to individuals with probable mental health symptoms as indicated by their score on the Kessler K6 psychological distress scale (K6) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 instrument (PHQ-2) and who have incomes less than 400% of the federal poverty level.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Among individuals with probable mental health symptoms and low or moderate incomes, enrolling in Medicare (combining the effect of MA and TM) is associated with a 24.9 percentage point reduction (95% CI -49.1 to -0.8; p = 0.043) in the likelihood of having any type of outpatient mental health visit and a 31.3 percentage point reduction (95% CI -54.2 to -8.4; p = 0.008) in the likelihood of having a prescription drug fill for a psychotropic drug. Effects of MA and TM on mental healthcare utilization are not statistically different from each other. We observe no impact of enrolling in Medicare on the likelihood of having a visit to a primary care provider, having a visit to a non-mental healthcare specialist, or having a fill for a prescribed non-psychotropic drug.

CONCLUSIONS

Enrolling in Medicare is associated with a reduction in the use of mental healthcare among individuals with probable mental health symptoms and low or moderate family incomes. Our findings suggest that the program poses access barriers specific to mental healthcare.

Medicaid managed care organizations' experiences with network adequacy

Access to behavioral health care continues to be a challenge in Medicaid, where most enrollees are restricted to networks of providers and facilities contracted with managed care organizations (MCOs). While state and federal regulations have sought to ensure access to care, little is known about how health plans perceive and respond to these network adequacy standards. We interviewed 27 administrators and executives across 19 local, regional, and national Medicaid MCOs to assess their behavioral health networks and perceived barriers and facilitators in these efforts. We purposively sampled MCOs for maximum heterogeneity, with early findings used to refine subsequent recruitment targets until thematic saturation. We used an iterative inductive coding approach with code discrepancies analyzed and reconciled until consensus was reached. Five major themes arose: existing regulations often failed to capture true access gaps; MCOs used supplementary approaches to monitor network adequacy; limited corrective actions were available; access measures were more meaningful when grounded in enrollee experiences; and provider directory accuracy was challenged by logistical barriers. In this first study to examine MCOs' experiences with network adequacy monitoring, our findings suggest key deficiencies with current regulations and opportunities to support MCOs more broadly as policymakers seek to strengthen network adequacy regulations.

Association of Medicare Advantage vs Traditional Medicare with Clinical Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized for Substance Use Disorders

BACKGROUND

Medicare Advantage (MA) includes incentives to reduce health care spending and insures over half of Medicare eligible adults. Substance use disorders (SUD) are common in this population.

OBJECTIVE

To compare clinical outcomes between MA and traditional Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with SUD.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

PATIENTS

Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for alcohol withdrawal or opioid overdose from 2016 to 2021.

MEASURES

Primary outcomes included mortality and all-cause readmissions within 30 days of discharge. Secondary outcomes included use of SUD medications.

RESULTS

Of 104,833 beneficiaries hospitalized for alcohol withdrawal (mean age 62.1 [SD 11.5] years, 71.8% male) and 75,463 hospitalized for opioid overdose (mean age 64.5 [SD 12.5] years, 40.8% male), 36.4% and 37.3% were enrolled in MA, respectively. Adjusted rates of 30-day mortality were lower in MA for alcohol withdrawal (unadjusted 2.5% in MA vs 2.4% in traditional Medicare; adjusted difference -0.27 pp [95% CI -0.47, -0.08]) but similar for opioid overdose (7.8% in MA vs 7.9% in traditional Medicare; adjusted difference -0.13 pp [-0.54, 0.27]). Rates of 30-day readmissions were lower in MA for both alcohol withdrawal (12.3% in MA vs 13.7% in traditional Medicare; adjusted difference -1.01 pp [95% CI -1.44, -0.59]) and opioid overdose (14.8% in MA vs 17.6% in traditional Medicare; adjusted difference -1.93 pp [95% CI -2.49, -1.37]). Enrollment in MA was associated with lower use of medications for alcohol use disorder (unadjusted 9.6% in MA vs 11.3% in traditional Medicare; adjusted difference -1.66 pp [95% CI -2.72, -0.60]) but higher use of medications for opioid use disorder (unadjusted 4.9% in MA vs 4.2% in traditional Medicare; adjusted difference, 0.82 pp [95% CI 0.08, 1.57]).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to traditional Medicare, MA was associated with modestly lower 30-day mortality after alcohol withdrawal, lower 30-day readmission rates after alcohol withdrawal and opioid overdose hospitalizations, and mixed findings on medication use.

How Specialized Are Special Needs Plans? Evidence From Provider Networks

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) among individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid has more than tripled over the past decade. Little is known about whether D-SNP plan design differs from standard MA plan design nor whether this design reflects the needs of dual-eligible enrollees. We characterize the degree to which D-SNPs specialize in an important plan design dimension-provider networks. We find that in 2022, 46% of D-SNPs offer networks that are distinct from the insurer's standard MA plan networks. Compared with D-SNP networks that are shared with standard MA plans, specialized D-SNP networks include more psychiatrists, Ob/Gyn's, and neurologists, providers that specialize in treating conditions more common among dually eligible enrollees. Network specialization is more common among insurers participating in the local Medicaid market and less common in provider shortage areas, suggesting investment in Medicaid and reduced provider negotiation costs may facilitate specialization.

Use and Costs of Supplemental Benefits in Medicare Advantage, 2017-2021

Importance

Nearly all Medicare Advantage (MA) plans offer dental, vision, and hearing benefits not covered by traditional Medicare (TM). However, little is known about MA enrollees' use of those benefits or how much they cost MA insurers or enrollees.

Objective

To estimate use, out-of-pocket (OOP) spending, and insurer payments for dental, hearing, and vision services among Medicare beneficiaries.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional analysis used pooled 2017-2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data for MA and TM beneficiaries (excluding those also covered by Medicaid). The analysis was performed from September 10, 2023, to June 30, 2024.

Exposures

MA compared with TM coverage.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was receipt of eye examinations, corrective lenses, hearing aids, optometry and dental visits, and MA and TM enrollees' and insurers' spending for such services. MEPS and MCBS data were weighted to be nationally representative.

Results

We included 76 557 non-dually eligible Medicare beneficiaries, including 23 404 from the MEPS and 53 153 from the MCBS. Weighted demographic characteristics of MA and TM beneficiaries were similar (54.7% and 51.9% female; 39.8% and 35.2% older than 75 years, respectively). Only 54.2% (95% CI, 52.4%-55.9%) and 54.3% (95% CI 52.2%-56.3%) of MA beneficiaries were aware of having MA dental and vision coverage, respectively. MA enrollees were no more likely to receive eye examinations, hearing aids, or eyeglasses than TM enrollees. After adjustment for demographic differences, MA and TM enrollees paid OOP $205.86 (95% CI, $192.44-$219.27) and $226.12 (95% CI, $212.02-$240.23), respectively, for eyeglasses (MA - TM difference, -$20.27 [95% CI, -$33.77 to -$6.77] or -9.0% [95% CI, -14.9% to -3.0%]); $226.82 (95% CI, $202.24-$251.40) and $249.98 (95% CI, $226.22-$273.74) for dental visits, respectively (MA - TM difference, -$23.16 [95% CI, -$43.15 to -$3.17] or -9.3% [95% CI, -17.3% to -1.3%]); and no less for optometry visits or durable medical equipment (a proxy for hearing aids). Nationwide, MA plans' annual spending on vision, dental services, and durable medical equipment totaled $3.9 billion (95% CI, $3.3-$4.4 billion), while enrollees spent OOP $9.2 billion (95% CI, $8.2-$10.2 billion) annually for these services and other private insurers covered $2.8 billion (95% CI, $2.7-$3.0 billion).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study of 2 nationally representative surveys, MA beneficiaries did not receive more supplemental services than TM beneficiaries, possibly because of cost-sharing and limited awareness of benefit coverage.

Insurance acceptance and cash pay rates for psychotherapy in the US

Cost and insurance coverage remain important barriers to mental health care, including psychotherapy and mental health counseling services ("psychotherapy"). While data are scant, psychotherapy services are often delivered in private practice settings, where providers frequently do not take insurance and instead rely on direct pay. In this cross-sectional analysis, we use a large national online directory of 175 083 psychotherapy providers to describe characteristics of private practice psychotherapy providers who accept and do not accept insurance, and assess self-reported private pay rates. Overall, about one-third of private practice psychotherapists did not accept insurance, with insurance acceptance varying substantially across states. We also found significant session rate differentials, with Medicaid rates being on average 40% lower than reported cash pay rates, which averaged $143.26 a session. Taken together, low insurance acceptance across a broad swath of mental health provider types means that access to care is disproportionately reliant on patients' ability to afford out-of-pocket payments-even when covered by insurance. While our findings are descriptive and may not be representative of all US psychotherapists, they add to scant existing knowledge about the cash pay market for an important mental health service that has experienced increased use and demand over time.

Collaborative Care Cost-Sharing and Referral Rates in Colorado

BACKGROUND

Collaborative care integrates mental health treatment into primary care and has been shown effective. Yet even in states where its use has been encouraged, take-up remains low and there are potential financial barriers to care.

OBJECTIVE

Describe patient out-of-pocket costs and variations in referral patterns for collaborative care in Colorado.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Retrospective observational study using administrative medical claims data to identify outpatient visits with collaborative care. For individuals with ≥1 visit, we measure spending and visits at the month level. Among physicians with billings for collaborative care, we measure prevalence of eligible patients with collaborative care utilization.

SUBJECTS

Patients with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or commercial health insurance in Colorado, 2018-2019.

OUTCOMES

Out-of-pocket costs (enrollee payments to clinicians), total spending (insurer+enrollee payments to clinicians), percent of patients billed collaborative care.

RESULTS

Median total spending (insurer+patient cost) was $48.32 (IQR: $41-$53). Median out-of-pocket cost per month in collaborative care was $8.35 per visit (IQR: $0-$10). Patients with commercial insurance paid the most per month (median: $15); patients with Medicare Advantage paid the least (median: $0). Among clinicians billing for collaborative care (n=193), a mean of 12 percent of eligible patients utilized collaborative care; family practice and advanced practice clinicians' patients utilized it most often.

CONCLUSIONS

Collaborative care remains underused with fewer than 1 in 6 potentially eligible patients receiving care in this setting. Out-of-pocket costs varied, though were generally low; uncertainty about costs may contribute to low uptake.

Composition of buprenorphine prescribing networks in Medicaid and association with quality of care

INTRODUCTION

Despite Medicaid's outsized role in delivering and financing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), little is known about the extent to which buprenorphine prescriber networks vary across Medicaid health plans, and whether network characteristics affect quality of treatment received. In this observational cross-sectional study, we used 2018-2019 Medicaid claims in Oregon to assess network variation in the numbers and types of buprenorphine prescribers, as well as the association of prescriber and network characteristics with quality of care.

METHODS

We describe prescribers (MD/DOs and advanced practice providers) of OUD-approved buprenorphine formulations to patients with an OUD diagnosis, across networks. For each patient who initiated buprenorphine treatment during 2018, we assigned a "usual prescriber" and assessed four measures of quality in the 180d following initiation: 1) continuous receipt of buprenorphine; 2) receipt of any behavioral health counseling services; 3) receipt of any urine drug screen; and 4) receipt of any prescription for a benzodiazepine. We used multivariable linear regressions to examine the association of prescriber and network characteristics with quality of buprenorphine care following initiation.

RESULTS

We identified 645 providers who prescribed buprenorphine to 20,739 eligible Medicaid enrollees with an OUD diagnosis. The composition of buprenorphine prescriber networks varied in terms of licensing type, specialty, and panel size, with the majority of prescribers providing buprenorphine to small panels of patients. In the 180 days following initiation, a third of patients were maintained on buprenorphine; 69.9 % received behavioral health counseling; 88.4 % had a urine drug screen; and 11.3 % received a benzodiazepine prescription. In regression analyses, while no single network characteristic was associated with higher quality across all examined measures, each one unit increase in prescriber-to-enrollee ratio was associated with a 1.18 p.p. increase in the probability of continuous buprenorphine maintenance during the 180 days following initiation (95 % confidence interval = [0.21, 2.15], p = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

Medicaid plans may be able to leverage their networks to provide higher quality care. Our findings, which should be interpreted as descriptive only, suggest that higher prescriber-to-enrollee ratio is associated with increased buprenorphine maintenance. Future research should focus on isolating the causal relationships between MOUD prescribing network design and patient outcomes.

Restrictiveness of Medicare Advantage provider networks across physician specialties

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to measure specialty provider networks in Medicare Advantage (MA) and examine associations with market factors.

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING

We relied on traditional Medicare (TM) and MA prescription drug event data from 2011 to 2017 for all Medicare beneficiaries in the United States as well as data from the Area Health Resources File.

STUDY DESIGN

Relying on a recently developed and validated prediction model, we calculated the provider network restrictiveness of MA contracts for nine high-prescribing specialties. We characterized network restrictiveness through an observed-to-expected ratio, calculated as the number of unique providers seen by MA beneficiaries divided by the number expected based on the prediction model. We assessed the relationship between network restrictiveness and market factors across specialties with multivariable linear regression.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

Prescription drug event data for a 20% random sample of beneficiaries enrolled in prescription drug coverage from 2011 to 2017.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Provider networks in MA varied in restrictiveness. OB-Gynecology was the most restrictive with enrollees seeing 34.5% (95% CI: 34.3%-34.7%) as many providers as they would absent network restrictions; cardiology was the least restrictive with enrollees seeing 58.6% (95% CI: 58.4%-58.8%) as many providers as they otherwise would. Factors associated with less restrictive networks included the county-level TM average hierarchical condition category score (0.06; 95% CI: 0.04-0.07), the county-level number of doctors per 1000 population (0.04; 95% CI: 0.02-0.05), the natural log of local median household income (0.03; 95% CI: 0.007-0.05), and the parent company's market share in the county (0.16; 95% CI: 0.13-0.18). Rurality was a major predictor of more restrictive networks (-0.28; 95% CI: -0.32 to -0.24).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that rural beneficiaries may face disproportionately reduced access in these networks and that efforts to improve access should vary by specialty.

Medicare Advantage plan characteristics associated with sorting their beneficiaries to providers that generate fewer avoidable hospital stays

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether certain Medicare Advantage (MA) plan characteristics are associated with driving beneficiaries to providers that generate fewer avoidable hospital stays.

DATA SOURCES

This paper primarily used 2018-2019 MA encounter data and traditional Medicare (TM) claims data for a nationally representative 20% sample of Medicare beneficiaries.

STUDY DESIGN

For each plan design aspect-plan type, carrier, star rating, and network breadth-we estimated two adjusted Poisson regressions of avoidable hospital stays: one without clinician fixed effects and the other with. We calculated the difference between the coefficients to evaluate the extent to which patient sorting affected avoidable hospital stays relative to TM.

DATA EXTRACTION METHODS

Our sample included Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older who were continuously enrolled in either MA or TM during 2018-2019. Beneficiaries in our sample had one or more chronic, ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Patient sorting can be attributed to certain characteristics of plan design aspects. For plan type, HMOs account for 86%, with PPOs accounting for only 14%. For carriers, Humana and smaller carriers account for 89%. For star ratings, high-star contracts account for 94%, with other stars only accounting for 6%. By network design, narrow network plan-counties explained 20% of the patient sorting effect.

CONCLUSIONS

While MA plans were found to be associated with driving beneficiaries to providers that generate fewer avoidable hospital stays, the effect is not homogeneous across the characteristics of MA plans. HMOs and high-star contracts are drivers of this MA phenomenon.

Commercial Insurer Market Power and Medicaid Managed Care Networks

Over 70% of Medicaid beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicaid managed care (MMC). MMC provider networks therefore represent a critical determinant of access to the Medicaid program. Many MMC insurers also participate in commercial insurance markets where prices are high, and some insurers exercise considerable market power. In this paper, we examined the relationship between commercial insurer market power and MMC physician network breadth using linked national enrollment data and provider directory data. Insurers with more commercial market power had broader Medicaid physician networks. Insurers with over 30% market share had 37.3% broader Medicaid networks than insurers in the same county that had no commercial market share. These differences were driven by greater breadth among primary care providers, as well as other specialists including OB/GYNs, surgeons, neurologists, and cardiologists. Commercial insurance market power may have spillovers on access to care for MMC beneficiaries.

Insurance Instability for Patients With Opioid Use Disorder in the Year After Diagnosis

Importance

Transitions in insurance coverage may be associated with worse health care outcomes. Little is known about insurance stability for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Objective

To examine insurance transitions among adults with newly diagnosed OUD in the 12 months after diagnosis.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Longitudinal cohort study using data from the Massachusetts Public Health Data Warehouse. The cohort includes adults aged 18 to 63 years diagnosed with incident OUD between July 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014, who were enrolled in commercial insurance or Medicaid at diagnosis; individuals diagnosed after 2014 were excluded from the main analyses due to changes in the reporting of insurance claims. Data were analyzed from November 10, 2022, to May 6, 2024.

Exposure

Insurance type at time of diagnosis (commercial and Medicaid).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of insurance transitions in the 12 months after diagnosis. Logistic regression models were used to generate estimated probabilities of insurance transitions by insurance type and diagnosis for several characteristics including age, race and ethnicity, and whether an individual started medication for OUD (MOUD) within 30 days after diagnosis.

Results

There were 20 768 individuals with newly diagnosed OUD between July 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014. Most individuals with newly diagnosed OUD were covered by Medicaid (75.4%). Those with newly diagnosed OUD were primarily male (67% in commercial insurance, 61.8% in Medicaid). In the 12 months following OUD diagnosis, 30.4% of individuals experienced an insurance transition, with adjusted models demonstrating higher transition rates among those starting with Medicaid (31.3%; 95% CI, 30.5%-32.0%) compared with commercial insurance (27.9%; 95% CI, 26.6%-29.1%). The probability of insurance transitions was generally higher for younger individuals than older individuals irrespective of insurance type, although there were notable differences by race and ethnicity.

Conclusions and Relevance

This study found that nearly 1 in 3 individuals experience insurance transitions in the 12 months after OUD diagnosis. Insurance transitions may represent an important yet underrecognized factor in OUD treatment outcomes.

The Rise and Risks of Medicare Advantage "Affinity Plans"

This Viewpoint discusses the proliferation of Medicare Advantage plans targeting specific groups of individuals and whether these plans will improve quality of care for beneficiaries.

Unmet need for mental health care is common across insurance market segments in the United States

A substantial proportion of individuals with depression in the United States do not receive treatment. While access challenges for mental health care have been documented, few recent estimates of unmet mental health needs across insurance market segments exist. Using nationally representative survey data with participant-reported depression symptom severity and mental health care use collected in Spring 2023, we assessed access to mental health care among individuals with similar levels of depression symptom severity with commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, and no insurance. Among individuals who reported symptoms consistent with moderately severe to severe depression, 37.8% did not have a diagnosis for depression (41.0%, 28.1%, 33.6%, and 56.3% with commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, and no insurance), 51.9% did not see a mental health specialist (49.7%, 51.7%, 44.9%, and 91.8%), and 32.4% avoided mental health care due to affordability in the past 12 months (30.2%, 34.0%, 21.1%, and 54.8%). There was substantial unmet need for mental health treatment in all insurance market segments, but especially among individuals without insurance.

Transitions in health insurance among continuously insured patients with schizophrenia

Changes in health insurance coverage may disrupt access to and continuity of care, even for those who remain insured. Continuity of care is especially important in schizophrenia, which requires ongoing medical and pharmaceutical treatment. However, little is known about continuity of insurance coverage among those with schizophrenia. The objective was to examine the probability of insurance transitions for individuals with schizophrenia who were continuously insured and whether this varied across insurance types. The Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database identified individuals with schizophrenia aged 18-64 who were continuously insured during a two-year period between 2014 and 2018. A logistic regression estimated the association of having an insurance transition - defined as having a change in insurance type - with insurance type at the start of the period, adjusting for age, sex, ZIP code in the lowest quartile of median income, and ZIP code with concentrated poverty. Overall, 15.1% had at least one insurance transition across a 24-month period. Insurance transitions were most frequent among those with plans from the Marketplace. In regression adjusted results, individuals covered by the traditional Medicaid program were 20.2 percentage points [pp] (95% confidence interval [CI]: 24.6 pp, 15.9 pp) less likely to have an insurance transition than those who were insured by a Marketplace plan. Insurance transitions among individuals with schizophrenia were common, with more than one in six people having at least one transition in insurance type during a two-year period. Given that even continuously insured individuals with schizophrenia commonly experience insurance transitions, attention to insurance transitions as a barrier to care access and continuity is warranted.

The Promise of Ecological Momentary Assessment to Improve Depression Management for Older Adults in Primary Care

Among older adults, depression is a common, morbid, and costly disorder. Older adults with depression are overwhelmingly treated by primary care providers with poor rates of remission and treatment response, despite attempts to improve care delivery through behavioral health integration and care management models. Given one in 10 older adults in primary care settings meet criteria for depression, there is a pressing need to improve the efficacy of depression treatment among affected individuals. Measurement-based care (i.e., the incorporation of systematic measurement of patient outcomes into treatment) for depressed older adults in primary care has had poor uptake, which at least partly underlies the limited efficacy of depression treatments. In this perspective, we discuss the proposal that ecological momentary assessment (EMA) may increase uptake of measurement-based care for depression in primary care, enhance the quality of clinical depression data, and lead to improvements in treatment efficacy without adding to providers' burden. We describe key issues related to EMA implementation and application in routine settings for depressed older adults, along with potential pitfalls and future research directions.