Children continuously enrolled in Medicaid had lower emergency department use, according to a study published Dec. 22 in Pediatrics.
The study was led by researchers from Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan, Atlanta-based Emory University, Minneapolis-based University of Minnesota and Columbia University in New York City. During the COVID-19 pandemic, legislation prevented states from disenrolling those on Medicaid. The researchers used data from the 2016-2022 National Survey of Children’s Health to evaluate coverage, service use and health status.
Children with continuous public enrollment had a 3.9 percentage point dip in ED use. This trend was even more pronounced for children with special healthcare needs, along with a boost in “excellent general health status” compared to their peers. Continuous eligibility also led to a 3.1 percentage point decrease in coverage gaps…