272662 Geographic variations in Medicaid spending, use, and quality of care

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 4:30 PM - 4:50 PM

Andrew Sommers, PhD, MSPH, MPP , Office of Health Policy, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Wahington, DC
Federal and state spending on the Medicaid program is expected to reach $420.7 billion in 2012. While geographic differences in spending and utilization in the Medicare program have received significant attention, variations in the cost and use of care by Medicaid beneficiaries is not well documented. To fill this information gap, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the Department of Health and Human Services is developing and will launch the Medicaid Atlas of Health Care web site in 2012. In this session, a panel will examine geographic differences in Medicaid spending, utilization, and quality of care for three types of services -— acute care, mental health care, and long-term care. Data from the 2000-2007 Medicaid Analytical eXtract(MAX) will be presented at both state and sub-state levels, controlling for area differences in health status, health care prices, and demographic characteristics of Medicaid beneficiaries.

Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Describe recent development of an interactive website which allows researchers and members of the public to map and analyze data on Medicaid utilization and expenditures for acute care, mental health care, and long-term care services. Define and describe a unique level of data aggregation, the Medicaid Atlas Local Area (MALA), which is based on metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) but accounts for differences in benefits and eligibility criteria where MSAs cross state lines. Explain the functionalities of the website; demonstrate how to generate maps, create table and charts, and download data and/or image files.

Keywords: Medicaid, Geographic Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Andrew Sommers, Ph.D. has conducted research and developed legislative policy proposals for agencies within both the legislative and executive branches of federal government. His areas of expertise include Medicaid and Medicare policy, geospatial analysis, and econometric modeling. His scientific interests include models of care coordination, health care disparities, the social determinants of health, as well as innovations in telemedicine and e-health.
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.

Back to: 3437.0: Health Services Research Invited Session: Geographic Variations in Medicaid Spending