Medicaid expansion not enough for diabetes patients: Study

Boston [US], November 29 (ANI): A study led by researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) claims that Medicaid expansion is not enough to improve the health care for patients with diabetes.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the Medicaid expansion which has insured improved healthcare facilities to millions of patients with different diseases and low-income in the United States, through the Affordable Care Act has not been enough to improve outcomes for patients with diabetes.
The researchers have observed an increase in insurance coverage, the ability to see a physician, and foot examinations among patients with diabetes in states that expanded Medicaid. However, the study did not find significant changes in follow-up examinations, care, or treatment for diabetes, pointing to the need for other structural changes.
Lead author of the study Dr Lily Yan, who was a master of science in population health student at BUSPH and now a global health research fellow at Weill Cornell Medicine said, "There are likely many steps between having health insurance and successfully getting treatment for diabetes including providers needing to recognize the importance of screening and patients needing to implement rigorous lifestyle changes."
"While having health insurance through a program like Medicaid expansion may be necessary for better health, it may not be sufficient alone," she added.
The researchers used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2008 through 2018 to compare 24 states that expanded Medicaid as of 2018 and 16 states that had not. The study included all non-pregnant, Medicaid-eligible residents of these states with self-reported diabetes.
The study examined diabetes outcomes using the 'continuum of care' model of successful diabetes management in which the screening ideally lead to a diagnosis, then linkage to care for the disease, then treatment, and ultimately control of the disease.
The researchers found improvements at the beginning of the continuum in the initial years following a state's Medicaid expansion. Health insurance coverage rates for people with diabetes increased by 7.2 percentage points, and as a result, the ability to afford a physician increased by 5.5 percentage points. This in turn led to a 5.3-percentage point increase in diabetic foot examinations by healthcare providers.
A few years after expansion, the researchers also found a 7.2-percentage point increase in self-administered foot examinations.
The researchers also found an increase in linkage to care among Hispanic patients. However, the researchers found no statistically significant improvement overall in linkage to care, lifestyle changes and self-monitoring of conditions, or treatment.
Senior author of the study Dr Kiersten Strombotne, assistant professor of health law, policy & management at BUSPH told,"Medicaid coverage on its own is not enough to manage diabetes. Our policymakers should think about insurance coverage and beyond: supporting behavioural interventions, bolstering healthcare workforces, and addressing the underlying socioeconomic determinants of health." (ANI)