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S S Flint

Publications and source records attributed to S S Flint.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

A decade of Medicaid in perspective: what have been the effects on children?

This study of the Medicaid program analyzes changes in child recipients, costs, and service use during the 1980s to assess the effects of recent federal policy shifts and to project future costs for children. Data presented in this study are from the Health Care Financing Administration's Medicaid Statistical Report for the years 1979, 1985, and 1990, three time-points that demarcate major federal policy shifts. About half of all recipients added to the Medicaid program during the last decade were children; they comprised 14% of the total cost growth experienced by the program. In addition, the eligibility distribution of children receiving Medicaid shifted markedly over the last decade. In 1979, children receiving cash assistance comprised 90% of total child recipients; by 1990, this figure dropped to 72%. Future expansions to the Medicaid program are projected to cost less than the initial expansions. This is because the early expansions disproportionately served infants, who require more hospital services than older children. Despite the major changes in Medicaid eligibility for children during the 1980s, only limited cost shifts occurred in expenditures for children. Children continue to consume a small portion of the Medicaid budget. Congress should explore options for guaranteeing that their share of funding for services will be adequate. Moreover, since future expansions will be far less expensive than those already implemented, accelerating the phase-in process for all poor children may be a more financially feasible policy option than many policymakers anticipate, despite the fiscal hardships facing many states.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.↗
PubMed1990

Pediatrician participation in Medicaid: 1978 to 1989.

Optimal pediatrician participation in the Medicaid program is essential if the full benefits of recent eligibility expansions are to be realized. A 1989 national survey of the members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (n = 940), designed as a follow-up to similar studies conducted in 1978 and 1983, was an examination of the factors that influence pediatrician participation. Between 1978 and 1989: (1) basic participation (treating any Medicaid beneficiaries) declined to 77% from 85%; (2) limited participation (seeing only some Medicaid beneficiaries who request care) increased from 26% to 39.4%; and (3) extent of participation (the percentage of a pediatrician's patients who are Medicaid beneficiaries) increased from 15.7% to 19.4%. A dichotomous conceptualization of participation (restricted or unrestricted) was developed. By this definition, only 56% of pediatricians allowed comparable access to their practices for both Medicaid and private patients. Low reimbursement and slow payments discouraged participation. Medicaid reimbursement to pediatricians was approximately equal to their overhead costs. However, a high degree of willingness to care for Medicaid children remains if fees are increased to within 11% to 16% of the private market level. Policy options to enhance participation are discussed.

Data Collection↗