Access to Care for Disabled Children Under Medicaid

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pediatric Healthcare
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Children with disabilities often face challenges accessing healthcare services.
• Medicaid is a key payer for healthcare for disabled children in the United States.
• Understanding disparities in care access is crucial for improving health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine access and utilization of care among children with physical disabilities, mental illness, and intellectual/developmental disabilities (MR/DD) enrolled in Medicaid in New York City.
• To identify subgroups of disabled children experiencing greater access problems.
• To inform policy and practice for improving healthcare access for vulnerable pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive and multivariate analyses of survey data from parents of disabled children on Medicaid in NYC.
• Utilized 1999 and 2000 data from a random sample of children.
• Examined differences in care access and use based on disability type and other factors.

Main Results:

• The Medicaid program has been effective in connecting disabled children with healthcare providers.
• Significant disparities in healthcare access exist for certain subgroups of disabled children.
• Children with mental illness and MR/DD may face more substantial access barriers compared to those with physical disabilities.

Conclusions:

• While Medicaid facilitates healthcare linkage for disabled children, access barriers persist for specific populations.
• Targeted interventions and support are necessary to address the unique needs of subgroups of disabled children.
• Policy efforts should focus on ensuring equitable access to care for all children with disabilities under Medicaid.