Migration patterns for Medicaid enrollees 2005-2007

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Public Health Policy
• Healthcare Administration

Background:

• Medicaid, a federal program, is state-administered, leading to complexities in tracking enrollee movements.
• Understanding Medicaid enrollee migration is crucial due to concerns about coverage gaps, continuity of care, and costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the patterns and extent of Medicaid enrollee migration across different states.

Main Methods:

• Utilized linked, unduplicated Medicaid enrollment records from 2005-2007.
• Analyzed descriptive statistics to quantify enrollee movement between states.

Main Results:

• 3.7% of Medicaid enrollees migrated to a new state at least once during the study period.
• Most migrations (72.2%) did not cause enrollment gaps; however, 11.4% resulted in gaps longer than six months.

Conclusions:

• Medicaid enrollee migration is a significant factor influencing coverage continuity and healthcare costs.
• Findings highlight the need to address enrollment gaps, especially with the anticipated growth in Medicaid enrollment under the Affordable Care Act.