Access to Care for Adolescents:

Role of Financing and Policy

Laura P Shone MSW, DrPHAssistant Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical

NursingDirector of Research, LEAH Fellowship Program

Department of Pediatrics University of Rochester School of Medicine

Outline:Financing for Adolescent Health

Where do teens go for health care? Why does it matter? Show me the money:

Private and public sources of financing for adolescent health

Coverage and Spending Trends Issues

State-level Resources

Outline:Financing for Adolescent Health

Where do teens go for health care?

Where Do Girls Receive Care? Overall Healthcare Utilization by Female Adolescents within a 1-Year Period

0102030405060708090

100

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Age in Years

Perc

ent

of

Fem

ale

s

All other

Any 1° Care

Ob/gyn+Other

Ob/gyn Only

Schools Only

Specialty Only

ED Only

No Care

Source: Albertin CS, Rand CM, Fryer EG, Shone LP, Szilagyi PG, Schaffer S. Adolescent Healthcare Utilization Across the U.S.: Who May Be Reached for Immunization? Poster Symposium: Immunization Delivery; presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, April 29, 2006, San Francisco, CA.

Where Do Boys Receive Care? Overall Healthcare Utilization by male Adolescents within a 1-Year Period

0102030405060708090

100

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Age in Years

Perc

ent

of

Male

s

All other

1° Care Only

Schools Only

Specialty Only

ED Only

No Care

Source: Albertin CS, Rand CM, Fryer EG, Shone LP, Szilagyi PG, Schaffer S. Adolescent Healthcare Utilization Across the U.S.: Who May Be Reached for Immunization? Poster Symposium: Immunization Delivery; presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, April 29, 2006, San Francisco, CA.

Outline:Financing for Adolescent Health

Where do teens go for health care? Why does it matter? Show me the money:

Private and public sources of financing for adolescent health

Coverage and Spending Trends Issues

State-level Resources

Why Does it Matter?Disparities in Unmet Need

Source: Health Care Coverage in America: Understanding the Issues and Proposed solutions. Alliance for Health Reform, March 2007. www.covertheuninsured.org

Why Does It Matter?Some Teens Don’t Get Care

Older teens, young adults – worse with age Less likely to see MD or dentist in past year if:

Ethnic / racial minority Lower income (<200% FPL)

12-17 year-olds, 2003: 36% needed/ didn’t get mental health care 10% needed/ had problems getting specialty care

18-25 year-olds, 2003: 36% of males / 20% of females had no USC 6% of males / 9% of females didn’t fill prescription

due to costSource: National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC) 2008 Fact Sheet on Health Care Access and Utilization: Adolescents and Young Adults. http://nahic.ucsf.edu/index.php/data/article/briefs_fact_sheets/

Outline:Financing for Adolescent Health

Where do teens go for health care? Why does it matter? Show me the money:

Private and public sources of financing for adolescent health

Coverage and Spending Trends Issues

State-level Resources

Show Me The Money:Financing for Adolescent Health

Private Health Insurance Public Health Insurance ProgramsPublic Health Insurance Programs

Medicaid, SCHIP, SSD, MedicareMedicaid, SCHIP, SSD, Medicare Public Health ResourcesPublic Health Resources

Title V MCH Block GrantTitle V MCH Block Grant Title X Family Planning, Planned Parenthood, etcTitle X Family Planning, Planned Parenthood, etc Vaccines for Children (VFC)Vaccines for Children (VFC)

Personal (out-of-pocket) spendingPersonal (out-of-pocket) spending Uncompensated or Charity CareUncompensated or Charity Care

e.g. NY State Bad Debt and Charity Care Poole.g. NY State Bad Debt and Charity Care Pool

Show Me The Money:Sources of Private Financing

Employer-linked health insurance “Group” market Wholesale prices Cost shared between employer/employee (variation)

Self-purchased health insurance “Individual” market Retail prices Cost borne by individuals Many denials / exclusions – state regulation varies

Both markets: Cost increases, high deductibles, coverage limits,

denials

Show Me The Money:Sources of Public Financing

Medicaid State Children’s Health Insurance

Program (SCHIP) Social Security Disability (SSD) Medicare

Sources of Financing: Surprising Medicaid Facts

Medicaid (53m @ $329B) is bigger than Medicare (42m @ $309B)

Largest source of grant $$ to states Keeps private insurance costs down Children and adolescents are not the problem

(<18 = 48% of enrollment but 18% of costs) $1,700 per child vs. $12,300 per disabled vs. $12,800 per elderly in

2003 “Optional” benefits matter for adolescents

3.7 – 4.7 per 1000 teens 15-17 hospitalized for mood disorders, BUT Prescriptions medicines are optional Inpatient psychiatric care is optional for persons <21Handouts: Key Facts: The Medicaid Program at a Glance. Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Publication #7236, January 2005.

http://www.kff.edu; Amazing Medicaid Facts, the Commonwealth Fund Health Policy Week in Review, March 7, 2005; and non-handout Simpson L et.al. Health Care for Children and Youth in the United States: Annual Report on Patterns of Coverage, Utilization, Quality, and Expenditures by Income. Ambulatory Pediatrics Jan-Feb 2005 5(1);6-44.

Sources of Financing: Medicaid for Adolescents

Phase-in eligibility for adolescents <19 years Options to increase age or income limits 46 states exceeded phase-in limits by 2001

Coverage for teens improved with SCHIP Most states cover teens <200% FPL BUT may still have different income limits by age

Traditional Medicaid serves 3x more teens than SCHIP, but more teens are covered by separate-program SCHIP than Medicaid-expansion SCHIP

Handouts: Key Facts: The Medicaid Program at a Glance. Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Publication #7236, January 2005. http://www.kff.edu; Amazing Medicaid Facts, the Commonwealth Fund Health Policy Week in Review, March 7, 2005; and non-handout Simpson L et.al. Health Care for Children and Youth in the United States: Annual Report on Patterns of Coverage, Utilization, Quality, and Expenditures by Income. Ambulatory Pediatrics Jan-Feb 2005 5(1);6-44.

Sources of Financing: SCHIP

How it is like Medicaid Administrative overlap – joint application; means-

tested; re-certification How it is different from Medicaid

SCHIP is not an entitlement SCHIP match more favorable Greater state flexibility: cost-sharing, waiting

periods/caps/freezes, option to extend eligibility, coverage or both; can cover immigrants with state $$

SCHIP more generous for adolescents, but not guaranteed

Sources of Financing: Public Health Resources

Title V MCH Block GrantTitle V MCH Block Grant “ “30% Set-aside” toward primary/preventive care; 30% Set-aside” toward primary/preventive care;

<1/3 of states report that they do this<1/3 of states report that they do this Year 2000 objectives for Adolescent health:Year 2000 objectives for Adolescent health:

Births (per 1000) to 15-17’s; Births (per 1000) to 15-17’s; MVA deaths (per 100,000) in 1-14’s; MVA deaths (per 100,000) in 1-14’s; % uninsured 0-18; % uninsured 0-18; Suicides (per 100,000) in 15-17’s; Suicides (per 100,000) in 15-17’s; Percentage of Medicaid-eligibles who have received a Medicaid paid Percentage of Medicaid-eligibles who have received a Medicaid paid

serviceservice Optional measures: few are adolescent-specific; many states have Optional measures: few are adolescent-specific; many states have

nonenone Title X Family PlanningTitle X Family Planning Vaccines for Children (VFC)Vaccines for Children (VFC)McNulty, M. Adolescent health spending and measures in state Title V Maternal and Child health programs. J. Public Health Management Practice, 2003,

9(4), 326-337

Outline:Financing for Adolescent Health

Where do teens go for health care? Why does it matter? Show me the money:

Private and public sources of financing for adolescent health

Coverage and Spending Trends Issues

State-level Resources

Coverage and Spending Trends:Uninsured by Age and Income

Uninsured by age: 13% among 12-17 year-olds 11% among <12 year-olds 28% among 18-24 year-olds

Uninsured by income: (2001) 2.5 million or 21% of poor children (<18) 2 million or 46% of poor young adults (18-24)

Current policies exclude some adolescents Inter-state variation in budgets, regulations,

eligibility, coverage, monitoring/accountabilityMorreale MC and English A. Eligibility and enrollment of adolescents in Medicaid and SCHIP: Recent progress, current challenges. J Adolescent Health (2003) Vol. 32S;25-39.

Coverage and Spending Trends:Sources of Health Insurance -2003

15.6 11.4 10.5 10.1 11 12.7

27 29 36 33 29 24

69 66 60 64 66 69

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%ALL USA Children < 3yrs 3-5yrs 6-11yrs 12-17yrs

Rate

of Cove

rage

No Insurance Public Insurance Private

Source: US Census 2003

Coverage and Spending Trends: Uninsured by Age -2003

11.3 11.112.2

0

5

10

15

20

<3 yrs 3-11 yrs 12-17 yrs

Source: Coverage Matters-Insurance and Health Care - 2001

Percent Uninsured

1.3 million 2.1 million 2.9 million

Coverage and Spending Issues: Who is Most Likely to be Uninsured?

Young adults (18-24’s) Low-income Families without wage earners, or blue-collar

workers Low educational level Immigrants (non-citizens) Black or Hispanic Children of parents who are uninsuredAll of these are independently associated with being

uninsured

Coverage and Spending Issues: Surprising Facts about Uninsured >46 million US uninsured all year in 2005 >8 of 10 uninsured are in working families Uninsured at all incomes:

Under $10K 16.6% $10K - <$30K 34.0% $30K - <$50K 21.5% $50K - <$75K 6.4% $75K and above 6.4%

Unmet need due to cost, 2002-03: 40% among insured 84% among uninsured

18,000 adults die/year because they are uninsured

Health Care Coverage in America: Understanding the Issues and Proposed Solutions, Alliance for Health Reform, March 2007. http://www.CoverThe Uninsured.org

Coverage and Spending Issues: Consequences of Being Uninsured Poorer access:

Lack a medical home Less use of WCC

Lower rates of utilization of: Primary care Specialty care ED care

Greater unmet need: Delayed care Foregone care

Poorer health outcomes: Lower immunization rates Less prenatal care Poorer birth outcomes: LBW and infant mortality

Coverage and Spending Issues:Coverage and Spending Issues:Where Do We Stand Now?Where Do We Stand Now?

Multiple stakeholders Private coverage decreasing Health care costs increasing Public funding threats Economic recession Benefit reductions Increased cost-sharing (premiums, co-payments,

deductibles) Acute coverage and cost issues for young adults

(18-24)

Why Health Insurance Matters Why Health Insurance Matters For Children and AdolescentsFor Children and Adolescents

More likely to have medical home Better access to preventive care Better continuity of care Less unmet need Fewer racial/ethnic disparities Improve social-emotional development Better equipped to succeed in school

Source: Families USA for the Campaign for Children’s Health Care: Why health Insurance Matters for Children. July 2006. www.childrenshealthcampaign.org

Access and Financing for Access and Financing for Adolescent Health: ResourcesAdolescent Health: Resources

National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC) http://nahic.ucsf.edu/

American Academy of Pediatrics: Principles on Access www.aap.org

Campaign for Children’s Health Care: www.childrenshealthcampaign.org/tools

Commonwealth Fund: State Scorecard on Health System Performance http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=494551

Georgetown University Health Policy Institute: Center for Children and Families http://www1.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/ccf/schip/

Cover the Uninsured: www.covertheuninsured.org