Preventable Hospitalizations Among Adult Medicaid Enrollees in 2019 Variation by Supplemental Security Income Eligibility Status, Race, and State

https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2024/01/preventable-hospitalizations-among-adult-medicaid-enrollees-in-2019.html Not every hospital admission has to happen. They can often be prevented — in up to 3.5 million cases, one annual estimate says — if patients can find timely, high-quality outpatient care. A new analysis from the Urban Institute has found that Black people enrolled in Medicaid have higher rates of preventable hospitalizations than white people covered by Medicaid. Looking at 21 U.S. states, three previously diagnosed conditions were most likely to result in a hospital stay: asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and heart failure. Hospitalization rates were higher for people insured by Medicaid through the Supplemental Security Income program, which is based on a qualifying disability, but for heart disease in particular, Black Medicaid enrollees were more likely to have a preventable hospitalization than white enrollees, with or without SSI, the report found. “These findings suggest a need to improve access to outpatient care to effectively manage chronic conditions,” the report concludes.