Related Experiment Videos
The impact of Medicaid on physician use by low-income children
1Center for Health Economics Research, Needham, MA 02194.
Insights
Medicaid significantly increases physician visits for low-income children compared to privately insured or uninsured children. Expanding Medicaid eligibility could improve access to essential healthcare services for more children.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Pediatric Health Policy
- Medical Economics
Background:
- Access to physician services is crucial for low-income children's health.
- Medicaid is a key program influencing healthcare access for this population.
- Understanding utilization determinants is vital for effective health policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the factors influencing physician utilization among low-income children.
- To specifically assess the impact of Medicaid on physician visits.
- To identify policy implications for improving healthcare access.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 1980 National Medical Care Utilization and Expenditure Survey.
- Employed regression analysis to examine determinants of physician use.
- Compared physician visit rates across different insurance statuses (Medicaid, private, uninsured).
Main Results:
- Medicaid-enrolled children demonstrated higher likelihoods of office-based physician visits.
- Medicaid children with any visit had more frequent healthcare encounters than uninsured children.
- Child's age, health status, family size, education, and income also influenced physician use.
Conclusions:
- Medicaid expansion to uninsured low-income children can enhance physician service access.
- Improving private health insurance benefits for the underinsured is also recommended.
- Policy interventions should focus on insurance coverage to improve pediatric healthcare utilization.
Abstract:
This study evaluated the determinants of physician use by low-income children, with an emphasis on the effect of Medicaid. Data are from the 1980 National Medical Care Utilization and Expenditure Survey. Regression analysis revealed that Medicaid children were more likely than both privately insured and uninsured children to visit an office-based physician. Also, Medicaid children with at least one visit to any setting had a higher number of visits than uninsured children. Such factors as age, health status, number of children in the family, educational status, and income also accounted for differences within the low-income population. The results suggest that access to physicians' services (including office-based physicians) can be increased by expanding Medicaid eligibility to uninsured low-income children and by improving private health insurance benefits among the underinsured.