Despite the healthy U.S. economy, the number of uninsured Americans continues to grow, particularly among low-income groups. Several states have implemented health care reforms to try to curtail this growing problem. This presentation examines effects of the expansions of health insurance coverage to uninsured adults and children in Hawaii and Tennessee.
Based on telephone survey data of households in Hawaii and Tennessee collected in two separate waves in 1998 and 1999, we compared nearly 30 measures of access to, quality of, and satisfaction with care for beneficiaries enrolled in Hawaii's QUEST or Tennessee's TennCare program and a comparable group of low-income uninsured adults and children in each state.
QUEST and TennCare's coverage expansions are strongly associated with improvements in access to care, use of preventive services, quality of care, and, to lesser extent, satisfaction with care for both adults and children.
QUEST's and TennCare's success in expanding coverage to uninsured children and uninsurable children is particularly relevant at the time when coverage for children is expanding nationwide through the implementation of SCHIP. For instance, as a precursor of SCHIP in Tennessee, TennCare demonstrates the feasibility of implementing coverage expansion for children that is popular and has clear implications for improving access to care. Our findings for adults also have important policy implications: since adults are less healthy than children and the requirements for gaining and maintaining Medicaid eligibility are so stringent, any potential reduction in coverage for this group can be devastating.
Learning Objectives: This presentation will provide information about the effects of the expansions of health insurance coverage to uninsured adults and children in Hawaii and Tennessee
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.