Patterns in Medicaid Coverage and Service Utilization Among People with Serious Mental Illnesses

Disruptions in Medicaid adversely affect service use and outcomes among individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI). A retrospective longitudinal study examined Medicaid coverage and service utilization patterns among individuals with SMI (N = 8358) from 2007 to 2010. Only 36% of participants were continuously enrolled in Medicaid and 20% experienced multiple enrollment disruptions. Mental health diagnosis did not predict continuous coverage; however, individuals with schizophrenia were 19% more likely to have multiple coverage disruptions than those with depression (b = - 0.21; p < 0.01). Single and multiple coverage disruptions were associated with decreased rates of outpatient service days utilized (IRR = 0.77 and 0.65, respectively, p < 0.001) and decreased odds of not using acute care services (OR  0.26 and 0.19, respectively, p < 0.001). Future research should explore mechanisms underlying Medicaid stability and develop interventions that facilitate insurance stability and service utilization.