Health Insurance Coverage For Children Research Articles

Adaptation and validation of the Children’s Surgical Assessment Tool for Rwandan district hospitals

ABSTRACT Background/Aims Paediatric surgical care is a critical component of child health and basic universal health coverage and therefore should be included in comprehensive evaluations of surgical capacity. This study adapted and validated the Children’s Surgical Assessment Tool (CSAT), a tool developed for district and tertiary hospitals in Nigeria to evaluate hospital infrastructure, workforce, service delivery, financing, and training capacity for paediatric surgery, for use in district hospitals in Rwanda. Methods We used a three-round modified Delphi process to adapt the CSAT to the Rwandan context. An expert panel of surgeons, anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, and health systems strengthening experts were invited to participate based on their experience with paediatric surgical or anaesthetic care at district hospitals or with health systems strengthening in the Rwandan context. We used the Content Validity Index to validate the final tool. Results The adapted tool had a final score of 0.84 on the Content Validity Index, indicating a high level of agreement among the expert panel. The final tool comprised 171 items across five domains: facility characteristics, service delivery, workforce, financing, and training/research. Conclusion The adapted CSAT is appropriate for use in district hospitals in Rwanda to evaluate the capacity for paediatric surgery. This study provides a framework for adapting and validating a comprehensive paediatric surgical assessment tool to local contexts in LMICs and used in similar settings in sub-Saharan Africa.

Investing in midwifery for sustainable development goals in low- and middle-income countries: a cost-benefit analysis

BackgroundMaternal and neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries is frequently caused by inadequate management of obstetric and neonatal complications and a shortage of skilled health workers. The availability of these workers is essential for effective and high-quality healthcare. To meet the needs of sexual, reproductive, maternal, new-born, child, and adolescent health by 2030, more than one million health workers, including 900 000 midwives, are required globally. Despite this, uncertainty persists regarding the return on investment in the health workforce.MethodsThe objective of this research was to determine the cost-benefit ratio of increasing investment in midwifery in Morocco from 2021 to 2030. A comparative analysis was conducted between scenarios “with” and “without” the additional investment. The costs and benefits were estimated using relevant data from national and international sources.ResultsFollowing the International Confederation of Midwives’ recommendations, it is advised that Morocco recruit 760 midwives annually to achieve 95% of universal health coverage. This increase in midwifery could result in saving 120 593 lives by 2030, including reducing maternal deaths by 3 201, stillbirths by 48 399, and neonatal deaths by 68 993. The estimated economic benefit of investing in midwives was US$ 10 152 287 749, while the total cost was US$ 638 288 820. Consequently, the cost-benefit ratio was calculated as 15.91, indicating that investing in midwifery would provide 16 times more benefits than costs.ConclusionIncreasing investment in midwifery appears to be an efficient strategy for achieving comprehensive maternal and child health coverage in low- and middle-income countries.

Evaluation of a Community-based Intervention to Improve Maternal New-born and Child Health Coverage in the Rural and Hard-to-reach Communities of Adamawa State Nigeria

The healthcare inequities in hard-to-reach (HTR) areas of developing countries, such as Nigeria, have significant implications for disease prevention and control, particularly in maternal and child health. The aim of this study is to look at how well mobile outreach and health facility outreach programs work to improve health outcomes in rural, underserved, and hard-to-reach (HTR) areas in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The focus is on key indicators of maternal, newborn, and child health. The key interventions include antenatal care (ANC), family planning, routine immunization, vitamin A supplementation, deworming of children under 5 years, and Diarrhea treatment. The study applied a cross-sectional design using before-and-after assessments to assess the outcome of the mobile outreach interventions using quantitative health facility-level data from the District Health Information System (DHIS 2.0) on the intervention. Following a successful intervention, the coverage of these indicators prior to and following the intervention was compared using the data. The study shows a cumulative improvement in ANC (21%), institutional delivery (18%), and Penta 3 coverage (28%). Mobile and hard-to-reach strategies utilizing community health workers and volunteers from the LGA, and health facilities can be effective in improving coverage of MNCH services and hold promise for better maternal and child survival in rural, HTR, and under-resourced parts of Adamawa State, Nigeria, and Sub-Saharan Africa at large. In addition, the mobile outreach interventions have contributed to improving MNCH services in hard-to-reach communities, so scaling up the strategy is highly recommended. Keywords: Hard-to-reach, Interventions, Outreach, Communities, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Addressing Disparities in Maternal and Child Health Services: A Focus on Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: India faces a critical challenge in maternal and child health, having reported the highest maternal and child deaths globally in 2010 and 2009, respectively. Despite a 70% decline in maternal mortality from 1990 to 2015, India still accounts for 15% of global maternal deaths. This study focuses on Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, where under-five child mortality rates are alarming, particularly in rural areas. Despite governmental efforts, accessibility, availability, and affordability of maternal and child health services remain problematic. Data and Methods: This study utilizes publicly available multi-level data from the HMIS portal of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, focusing on Uttar Pradesh. The HMIS is a crucial tool for monitoring and implementing national health programs. Examining data from 2018 to 2020, the study assesses the spatial distribution of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) coverage at the district level using descriptive statistics. The findings contribute to understanding MCH service utilization in Uttar Pradesh. Result and Discussion: This research investigates maternal health service utilization across districts in Uttar Pradesh, India, analyzing key indicators from 2018 to 2020. The study reveals significant variations in early registration, antenatal care, vaccination, and delivery preferences. Positive changes, notably in Basti and Kanpur Dehat, contrast with negative trends in Meerut and Varanasi. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address disparities and enhance maternal health outcomes in Uttar Pradesh. Conclusion: Maternal health service utilization is vital for community well-being. Despite increased awareness, persistent gaps exist due to barriers like inadequate infrastructure and cultural norms. Addressing these demands a multi-faceted approach, including policy reforms, education, and innovative technologies. Optimizing maternal health requires holistic efforts to bridge socio-economic gaps and build resilient communities.

DISP-14. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MEDICAID ENROLLMENT CONTINUITY AND CHILDHOOD, ADOLESCENT, AND YOUNG ADULT BRAIN TUMOR SURVIVAL

Abstract BACKGROUND Disparities in younger cancer patient survival between individuals with Medicaid and private insurance have been reported. To further understand this association for brain tumor survival, we used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End RESULTS (SEER)-Medicaid-linked data to test two hypotheses: 1) those enrolled in Medicaid have lower brain tumor survival than those not enrolled, and 2) those with discontinuous enrollment in Medicaid around the time of diagnosis have lower survival than those with continuous enrollment. METHODS SEER-Medicaid linked data on individuals diagnosed with a first malignant primary brain cancer between 0 to 39 years from 2006 to 2013 were obtained with follow-up through 2018. Medicaid enrollment was classified as continuous (enrolled six months before through six months after diagnosis) and discontinuous (enrolled non-continuously in the twelve months surrounding the diagnosis month). We used Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves and Cox Proportional Hazards (PH) regression models with SEs clustered on state to evaluate survival differences in association with Medicaid enrollment timing after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and a measure of census tract poverty. RESULTS Our analytic dataset included 10,110 children, adolescents, and young adults, including 3,148 brain tumor deaths. Consistently lower survival probabilities over time were observed for those enrolled in Medicaid, particularly those with discontinuous enrollment for both age groups. Higher hazards of death were observed for those enrolled in Medicaid vs. not enrolled (HR0-19 =1.66 95% CI 1.41-1.95; HR20-39=1.38, 95% CI 1.27-1.51) and with discontinuous vs. continuous in Medicaid enrollment (HR0-19 =1.60, 95% CI 1.43-1.81; HR20-39=2.03, 95% CI 1.75-2.36). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate Medicaid enrollment continuity has an impact on the risk of death, with discontinuous enrollment associated with an over two times higher risk of death for young brain tumor patients. These results further support the critical need for consistent health insurance coverage for children, adolescents, and young adults.

Current Challenges of Asian National Children's Cancer Study Groups on Behalf of Asian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group.

In Asia, a few countries have a long and established history of collaborative clinical trials successfully formed national children's cancer study groups, but many still do not have such groups. The process of forming national children's cancer groups is fraught with many hurdles, which varies among the countries. One of the basic requirements for running clinical trials is an affordable health care system in which most of the children with cancer can receive the proposed treatment. The health insurance coverage for children with cancer varies from <20% to as high as 100% among Asian countries, and the operation of clinical trials must also be adjusted accordingly. Shortage of research personnel is common, including medical, nursing, research coordinators, and data managers. The establishment of the Asian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group aims to provide a good platform for promotion of international clinical trials in the Asian countries.

Key drivers of reversal of trend in childhood anaemia in India: evidence from Indian demographic and health surveys, 2016–21

AimRecent National Family Health Survey results portray striking improvements in most population and health indicators, including fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, gender treatment, household environments, and health insurance coverage of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), with all India resonance. However, the prevalence of any anaemia (< 11 g/dl) among children under age five has exhibited a reversed trajectory in recent years. Therefore, the present study explores key drivers of the reversal of the trend in the prevalence of childhood anaemia between 2015 and2021.MethodsData of four rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) were used to show the overall trend of anaemia among children. However, for the analysis of key drivers of the reversal trend of childhood anaemia, only the recent two rounds (NFHS-4 & NFHS-5) were used. Descriptive, bivariate multivariable analysis and Fairlie decomposition model were used to explore the drivers of the reversal of the trend in childhood anaemia.ResultsDuring the past two decades, India has seen a decline in the prevalence of childhood anaemia (NFHS-2 to NFHS-4). However, a reversal of trend was observed recently. The prevalence of anaemia among children aged 6–59 months increased from 59 percent in NFHS-4 to 67 percent in NFHS-5. In addition, the prevalence of mild anaemia increased from 23.3 percent in NFHS-2 to 28.7 percent in NFHS-5. However, the prevalence of moderate and severe anaemia declined considerably from NFHS-2 (40 percent and 4.1 percent) to NFHS-4 (28.7 percent and 1.6 percent), but showed an increase in the prevalence in NFHS-5 (36.3 percent and 2.2 percent). Among others, mothers’ educational attainment, anaemia status and socio-economic status emerge as the key drivers of the change in the prevalence of childhood anaemia.ConclusionThese findings may have vital implications for the ongoing Anaemia Mukt Bharat Programme, one of the government's dream projects in India.

Welfare reform and childhood health status and utilization

I examine the impact of the implementation of the 1990s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, commonly referred to as welfare reform, on objective and subjective measures of child health, healthcare utilization, and insurance coverage. I find that exposure to welfare reform in childhood is associated with an increased likelihood of chronic physical health conditions, lower healthcare utilization, and a higher rate of private insurance coverage. Given the evidence in the literature of the importance of childhood health, these findings potentially have significant ramifications for future adult health.

Band aids for Medicaid: preserving the high numbers of child health coverage during the pandemic.

Band aids for Medicaid: preserving the high numbers of child health coverage during the pandemic.

Implementation research protocol on the national community health policy in Guinea: A sequential mixed-methods study using a decision space approach.

The overall goal of this study is to explore the rollout of the community health policy in Guinea in the context of decentralization, and the role of decision space (the decision authority, capacities, and accountability of local officials) in explaining gaps between the policy's conceptualization and actual implementation. The implementation research study will employ a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. The study will be conducted in 27 communes purposefully selected across the country and include communes where the national community health policy is fully, partially, and not yet being implemented. The quantitative component, based on a survey questionnaire and secondary data, will use ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression to compare maternal and child health (MCH) coverage indicators according to the level of policy implementation in the commune. An interrupted time series analysis will be conducted to assess changes in routine MCH service delivery indicators associated with implementation of the community health policy, comparing indicators from one year prior to implementation. OLS regression will be conducted to assess the association between decision space and MCH indicators; all analyses will be carried out in Stata. Findings from the quantitative study will be used to inform the key qualitative questions and areas to explore in greater depth, to develop the interview and focus group guides, and to generate an initial codebook. Qualitative data will be double coded in NVivo by two qualitative analysts, and results generated using thematic analysis. Findings from the quantitative and qualitative components will be integrated and triangulated for interpretation and reporting. Findings and recommendations of this study will inform revisions to the National Community Health Policy to improve its rollout and effectiveness.

Care coordination Experiences of Low-Income Parents of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs: An Exploratory Study.

To explore parent perspectives on barriers, facilitators, and priorities related to coordinating care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Thirty-nine parents of Medicaid-eligible CYSHCN participated in focus groups and completed a brief survey about their child's health insurance coverage, access to specialized services, and need for support with service coordination. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Focus group data were analyzed by multiple independent coders using an approach that combines inductive reasoning with predetermined coding strategies. Sixty-seven percent of parents reported that they needed care coordination support. Qualitative data were organized into three main themes: the work of caregiving; the impact of caregiving on multiple aspects of parents' lives; and caregivers' needs related to emotional acceptance, service referrals and navigation, and developmental transitions. Findings support importance of services such as medical homes, care coordinators, peer navigators, respite care, and transition planning.

"If I Was Educated, I Would Call the Ambulance and Give Birth at the Health Facility"-A Qualitative Exploratory Study of Inequities in the Utilization of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Services in Northern Ethiopia.

In earlier studies, we have shown that the utilization of maternal health services in rural Ethiopia was distributed in a pro-rich fashion, while the coverage of child immunization was equitably distributed. Hence, this study aimed to explore mothers’ and primary healthcare workers’ perceptions of inequities in maternal, newborn, and child health services in rural Ethiopia, along with the factors that could influence such differentials. A qualitative study was conducted from November to December 2019 in two rural districts in Tigray, Ethiopia. Twenty-two in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were carried out with mothers who had given birth during the last year before the survey. We also interviewed women’s development group leaders, health extension workers, and health workers. The final sample was determined based on the principle of saturation. The interviews and focus group discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, translated, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Two major themes emerged during the analysis that characterized the distribution of the service utilization and perceived causes of inequity. These were: (1) perceptions of the inequity in the use of maternal and child health services, and (2) perceived causes of inequity in maternal and child health service utilization. The mothers perceived antenatal care, facility-based delivery, and care-seeking for sick children to be inequitably distributed, while immunization was recognized as an equitable service. The inequity in the maternal and child health services was linked to poverty, lack of education, lack of access, and poor-quality services. The poor, the uneducated, and women who were distant from health facilities had a low utilization rate of services. The weak implementation of community-based equity-oriented policies, such as community-based health insurance, was perceived to result in health inequities. Mothers and primary healthcare providers in rural Ethiopia experienced weaknesses in delivering equitable services. The narratives could inform efforts to provide universal health coverage for mothers, newborns, and children by improving access and empowering women through poverty alleviation and education.

Children's Health Insurance Coverage and Parental Immigration Status: 2015-2019.

Rhetoric and policies aimed at restricting immigration to the United States, such as those proposed during the Trump administration, may lead to reduced enrollment in Medicaid for children of immigrants, even those who were legally eligible. This study assessed how children's health insurance coverage changed before versus during the Trump administration by parental immigration status. Using American Community Survey data, we compared changes in rates of uninsurance and Medicaid enrollment for children in the United States before (2015 to 2016) versus during (2017 to 2019) the Trump administration. Children were categorized by parental immigration status: citizen children with US-born parents, citizen children with naturalized parents, children from mixed-status families, or noncitizen children. The study population included 2 963 787 children between 2015 and 2019, representing approximately 64 million children annually. Throughout our study period, uninsurance rates for children from mixed-status families and noncitizen children were higher than citizen children with United States-born parents. Beginning in 2017, there were significant increases in uninsurance among children from mixed-status families (0.48 percentage points [PP], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06 to 0.91) that increased to 1.48 PP (95% CI: 0.98 to 1.99) by 2019 when compared with concurrent trends among citizen children with US-born parents. Changes were accompanied by significant decreases in Medicaid enrollment by 2019 (-0.89 PP, 95% CI: -1.62 to -0.16). There were substantial disparities in uninsurance rates by parental immigration status. Compared with citizen children with US-born parents, uninsurance rates among children from mixed-status families significantly increased between 2017 and 2019, with the magnitude of disparity widening over time.

The RADAR coverage tool: developing a toolkit for rigorous household surveys for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health & nutrition indicators

ABSTRACT Population-based intervention coverage data are used to inform the design of projects, programs, and policies and to evaluate their impact. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), household surveys are the primary source of coverage data. Many coverage surveys are implemented by organizations with limited experience or resources in population-based data collection. We developed a streamlined survey and set of supporting materials to facilitate rigorous survey design and implementation. The RADAR coverage survey tool aimed to 1) rigorously measure priority reproductive, maternal, newborn, child health & nutrition coverage indicators, and allow for equity and gender analyses; 2) use standard, valid questions, to the extent possible; 3) be as light as possible; 4) be flexible to address users’ needs; and 5) be compatible with the Lives Saved Tool for analysis of program impact. Early interactions with stakeholders also highlighted survey planning, implementation, and analysis as challenging areas. We therefore developed a suite of resources to support implementers in these areas. The toolkit was piloted by implementers in Tanzania and in Burkina Faso. Although the toolkit was successfully implemented in these settings and facilitated survey planning and implementation, we found that implementers must still have access to sufficient resources, time, and technical expertise in order to use the tool appropriately. This potentially limits the use of the tool to situations where high-quality surveys or evaluations have been prioritized and adequately resourced.

Pediatric Research Challenge, Alignment with the National Research Agenda

Pediatric Research Challenge, Alignment with the National Research Agenda

Experiences with Medicaid Renewal and Reauthorization Policies in the Context of Child Health and Vaccine Coverage.

Difficulties complying with Medicaid recertification requirements may be responsible for a portion of Medicaid disenrollments and may impact access to preventive care. This study aimed to explore the barriers parents experienced renewing their child's Medicaid, how those barriers impact access to healthcare, and how changes in Medicaid policy can improve child health outcomes. To understand the barriers associated with Medicaid renewal, authors conducted in-depth interviews (N = 24) with racially and demographically diverse parents living in Baltimore. They found that administrative burden, lack of awareness regarding reauthorization, challenges with navigation assistance, and lack of access to the renewal system were crucial barriers to renewing Medicaid. Many participants identified negative impacts on child health outcomes resulting from lapses in coverage, including lack of healthcare access and missed immunizations. Drawing on these findings, the authors provide recommendations for streamlining and clarifying the Medicaid renewal process in Maryland, and the role of social work policy and practice in reducing barriers to renewal.

The effects of the affordable care act dependent coverage mandate on parents’ labor market outcomes

We examine the labor market impacts of the Affordable Care Act dependent mandate (ACA-DM), which has significantly increased dependent children's health insurance coverage through parents’ employer-sponsored health benefits. Using data from the American Community Survey, we find that the ACA-DM reduced parents’ annual wages by about $2,600. However, the probability of employment and working hours only decreased marginally. The back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates that the magnitude of the estimated wage impact is similar to the increased insurance premium of a family plan due to the ACA-DM. These findings imply that a deadweight loss associated with the expansion of dependent health coverage is likely to be small as an increase in employers’ labor costs is offset by a reduction in parents’ wages without significant reductions in labor inputs.

Narrowing Insurance Disparities Among Children and Adolescents With Cancer Following the Affordable Care Act.

Despite advances toward universal health insurance coverage for children, coverage gaps remain. Using a nationwide sample of pediatric and adolescent cancer patients from the National Cancer Database, we examined effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation in 2014 with multinomial logistic regressions to evaluate insurance changes between 2010-2013 (pre-ACA) and 2014-2017 (post-ACA) in patients aged younger than 18 years (n = 63 377). All statistical tests were 2-sided. Following the ACA, the overall percentage of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program–covered patients increased (from 35.1% to 36.9%; adjusted absolute percentage change [APC] = 2.01 percentage points [ppt], 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31 to 2.71; P < .001), partly offset by declined percentage of privately insured (from 62.7% to 61.2%; adjusted APC = −1.67 ppt, 95% CI = −2.37 to −0.97; P < .001), leading to a reduction by 15% in uninsured status (from 2.2% to 1.9%; adjusted APC = −0.34 ppt, 95% CI = −0.56 −0.12 ppt; P = .003). The largest declines in uninsured status were observed among Hispanic patients (by 23%; adjusted APC = −0.95 ppt, 95% CI = −1.67−0.23 ppt; P = .009) and patients residing in low-income areas (by 35%; adjusted APC = −1.22 ppt, 95% CI = −2.22−0.21 ppt; P = .02). We showed nationwide insurance gains among pediatric and adolescent cancer patients following ACA implementation, with greater gains in racial and ethnic minorities and those living in low-income areas.

Better Late Than Never: Effects of Late ACA Medicaid Expansions for Parents on Family Health-Related Financial Well-Being.

Public health insurance eligibility for low-income adults has improved adult economic well-being. But whether parental public health insurance eligibility has spillover effects on children's health insurance coverage and family health-related financial well-being is less understood. We use the 2016 to 2020 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) to estimate the effects of Medicaid expansions through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for parents on child health insurance coverage, parents' employment decisions due to child health, and family health-related financial well-being. We compare children in low-income families in states that expanded Medicaid for parents after 2015 to states that never expanded in a difference-in-differences framework. We find that these expansions were associated with increases in children's public health insurance coverage by 5.5 percentage points and reductions in private coverage by 5 percentage points. We additionally find that parents were less likely to avoid changing jobs for health insurance reasons and children's medical expenses were less likely to exceed $1000. We find no evidence that the expansions affected children's dual coverage and uninsurance. Our estimates are robust to falsification and sensitivity analyzes. Our findings also suggest that benefits on children's medical expenses are concentrated in the families with the greatest financial need.

The Affordable Care Act, COVID-19, and Health Care Insurance for Children.

Despite numerous legal and political challenges over the past decade, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; Library of Congress, 2010) has been integrated into the health system of the United States and has played an important role in improving child health in this country by increasing access to health care for millions of children. The ACA has also provided a health care lifeline to children and families during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This policy brief reviews the legal status of the ACA, explores the impact of COVID-19 on children's access to health insurance, discusses recent legislation supporting child health, and considers the future status of child health insurance coverage and access to care.