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Examining Primary Care Utilization and Distance Traveled for Care Among Medicaid-Insured Children in South Carolina
Caitlin Koob1, Abass Babatunde2, Samuel L K Baxter3
1Department of Healthcare Leadership and Management, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. cak240@musc.edu.
Insights
Among Medicaid-insured children in South Carolina, Non-Hispanic White children, those who were obese, and those in rural areas were more likely to travel farther for primary care. This highlights disparities in healthcare access and obesity risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Healthcare Access
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Access to primary care is crucial for pediatric health, particularly for children with weight-related conditions.
- Medicaid insurance covers a significant population of children, but utilization patterns and access barriers require investigation.
- Geographic distance to healthcare services can be a significant barrier to timely and consistent medical care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify demographic and primary care utilization factors associated with travel distance for healthcare among Medicaid-insured children in South Carolina.
- To understand how factors like race, weight status, and insurance coverage influence healthcare seeking behaviors.
- To inform targeted interventions aimed at improving primary care accessibility for vulnerable pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Medicaid claims data from South Carolina (2018-2022) for children with weight-related diagnostic codes.
- Inclusion of over one million pediatric primary care service encounters.
- Multinomial regression analyses to examine associations between patient characteristics, utilization factors, and travel distance.
Main Results:
- Non-Hispanic White children, those with obesity, and those residing in rural counties showed increased odds of traveling for primary care.
- Children with lapses in insurance coverage and those seeking non-well-child visits also demonstrated higher odds of traveling.
- Specifically, Non-Hispanic White children, those who were overweight, and those with coverage lapses had higher odds of traveling longer distances for primary care.
Conclusions:
- Significant disparities exist in primary care travel distance for Medicaid-insured children in South Carolina, influenced by race, weight status, and geographic location.
- Findings underscore the complex relationship between race/ethnicity, healthcare access, and obesity risk in pediatric populations.
- The study emphasizes the need for targeted interventions and policy adjustments to improve primary care accessibility and support weight management strategies for these children.
Abstract:
To identify demographic and primary care utilization factors associated with distance traveled for healthcare among Medicaid-insured children in South Carolina (SC). Medicaid claims data was analyzed among patients with a weight-related diagnostic code who received primary care services in SC from 2018 to 2022 (N = 1,055,613). Multinomial regression analyses were used to examine associations between demographic and primary care utilization factors and distance traveled to primary care services. Among Medicaid-insured children in SC, those who were Non-Hispanic White, obese, had lapses in coverage, sought non-well-child visits, and lived in rural counties demonstrated higher odds of traveling for primary care, compared to other children. Further, children who were Non-Hispanic White, overweight, and had lapses in coverage demonstrated higher odds of traveling distally for PC, compared to other children. These findings underscore the complex interplay between race/ethnicity, healthcare access, and obesity risk among Medicaid-insured children, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions that address these disparities. The study's insights can inform policy and healthcare practices aimed at improving the accessibility of primary care and supporting effective weight management strategies for pediatric populations in SC.
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