180137 Association between health insurance coverage and maternal and child health indicators: A comparison of the 50 states over ten years

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 11:30 AM

Paul L. Solano, PhD , School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Mary Joan McDuffie, MA , School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Erin K. Knight, MPH , School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
     
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has been tracking children's health for many years through its KIDS COUNT project. The Foundation's on-line data system provides access to a range of maternal and child health indicators, by state over time, that may be used by researchers and policymakers for tracking regional differences and trends. To better understand these data, the Foundation is supporting this study to examine whether differences in health insurance coverage—public and private—among states are associated with variations in selected KIDS COUNT indicators.

Past research argues that greater access to and use of primary care is linked with positive health outcomes. Therefore, it is hypothesized that states with more extensive private coverage and/or more generous or comprehensive public health insurance policies for low-income children and pregnant women (e.g. Medicaid and SCHIP) will experience more positive health outcomes, compared with states with less expansive programs. Some important policy variables include eligibility criteria, premium levels, expenditures per child, waiting periods and other administrative procedures related to Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment. Likewise, some outcomes of interest include prenatal care, pre-term births, teen birthrate, child asthma and immunizations. This panel study includes all 50 states over a 10-year period, taking into account changes in the extent of private coverage, Medicaid, and the introduction of SCHIP, and their lagged effects on outcomes, over time. Findings from separate regression models will be presented, along with a discussion of how KIDS COUNT data can be used to further our understanding of maternal and child health.

Learning Objectives:
List 3 state level policy variables that are correlated with KIDS COUNT indicators of maternal and child health and well-being. List 3 demographic variables that are correlated with KIDS COUNT indicators of maternal and child health and well-being. Identify at least one additional use for the KIDS COUNT data set.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have an MPH degree and work experience in the areas of access to care and children's health. I have participated in the analysis of this project and in the development of a draft manuscript to be revised after the APHA conference.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Pregnancy, Outcomes and Infant Health
See more of: Maternal and Child Health