The Impact of Policy Reform on Utilization of Popular Reconstructive Procedures

Medicaid beneficiaries systematically face challenges in accessing healthcare, especially with regard to specialty services like reconstructive surgery. This study evaluated the impact of 2 healthcare reform policies, Medicaid expansion and global hospital budgeting, on utilization of reconstructive surgery by Medicaid patients.

Utilization of reconstructive surgery by Medicaid patients in New Jersey (Medicaid expansion/no global budget), Maryland (Medicaid expansion/with global budgets), and Florida (no Medicaid expansion/no global budget) between 2012 and 2016 was compared using quasi-experimental, interrupted time-series modeling. Subgroup analyses by procedure type and urgency were also undertaken.

During the study period, the likelihood of Medicaid patients using reconstructive surgery significantly increased in expansion states (Maryland: 0.3% [95% confidence interval = 0.17% to 0.42%] increase per quarter, P < 0.001; New Jersey: 0.4% [0.31% to 0.52%] increase per quarter, P = 0.004) when compared with Florida (nonexpansion state). Global budgeting did not significantly impact overall utilization of reconstructive procedures by Medicaid beneficiaries. Upon subgroup analyses, there was a greater increase in utilization of elective procedures than emergent procedures by Medicaid beneficiaries after Medicaid expansion (elective: 0.9% [0.8% to 1.3%] increase per quarter, P = 0.04; emergent/urgent: 0.2% [0.1% to 0.4%] increase per quarter, P = 0.02). In addition, Medicaid expansion had the greatest absolute effect on breast reconstruction (1.0% [95% confidence interval = 0.7% to 1.3%] increase per quarter) compared with other procedure types.

Medicaid expansion increased access to reconstructive surgery for Medicaid beneficiaries, especially for elective procedures. Encouragingly, although cost-constrictive, global hospital budgeting did not limit longitudinal utilization of reconstructive surgery by Medicaid patients, who are traditionally at higher risk for complications/readmissions.