Short-Term Medicaid Utilization Associated With an Advanced Primary Care Model

Early childhood advanced primary care models are promising ways of addressing child and family needs, but there is limited evidence to support short-term sustainability within current Medicaid payment structures. We evaluate claims-based outcomes associated with 3-2-1 IMPACT (IMPACT), an early childhood advanced primary care model, compared with the standard of care.

Using New York State Medicaid claims, we identified and matched children aged 1 to 35 months receiving care at 3 IMPACT sites and 3 comparison sites within a large public hospital system. Regression models were used to analyze use, expenditure, enrollment, and quality outcomes between groups.

There were 6045 children at the treatment sites and 4832 matched children from the comparison sites. IMPACT was associated with a significant increase in 6 or more well-child visits and a decrease in emergency department visit rates. There was also a significant increase in 6 more well-child visits specifically for Black and Hispanic children seeking care at IMPACT sites compared with comparison sites. There were no significant differences in expenditures, other use types, or Medicaid enrollment across groups.

An early childhood advanced primary care model that incorporates multiple evidence-based programs can show short-term, positive effects on preventative and acute care use and quality within Medicaid. These results highlight short-term strategies for sustainability while awaiting the long-term, cross-sector benefits expected from models like IMPACT. Future studies addressing additive model component effects and longer-term outcomes across mother-child dyadic and social-emotional outcomes are warranted.