The impact of increased cost sharing on Medicaid enrollees

Health Aff (Millwood). 2005 Jul-Aug;24(4):1106-16. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.24.4.1106.

Abstract

Many state Medicaid programs are implementing cost-saving mechanisms, but little is known about the impact of those strategies on low-income people. Recent increases in cost sharing for Oregon Health Plan (OHP, Oregon's Medicaid program) members have created a natural experiment that is ideal for examining such impacts. Early results from an ongoing cohort study suggest that cost-sharing increases led to a large reduction in OHP membership. Those who left OHP because of the cost-sharing increase reported inferior access to needed care, used primary care less often, and used hospital emergency rooms more often than those who left OHP for other reasons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cohort Studies
  • Consumer Behavior / economics
  • Consumer Behavior / statistics & numerical data*
  • Cost Sharing / trends*
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Services Accessibility / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Humans
  • Medicaid / economics
  • Medicaid / statistics & numerical data*
  • Middle Aged
  • Oregon
  • Poverty / statistics & numerical data
  • State Health Plans / economics
  • State Health Plans / statistics & numerical data*
  • United States