Nonelderly Medicaid enrollees in racial and ethnic minority groups have significantly worse care experiences than white enrollees, a Health Affairs study published in February found.
Researchers analyzed data on patients enrolled in Medicaid managed care plans between 2014 and 2018 in 37 states. Information was pooled from the National Committee for Quality Assurance Adult Medicaid Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Health Plan Survey.
Across all four metrics of the study — access to needed care, access to a personal doctor, timely access to checkup or routine care, and timely access to specialty care — Medicaid enrollees in racial and ethnic minority groups reported worse experiences than white Medicaid enrollees.
"These results warrant further exploration of state and federal policies, as well as cross-sectoral state- and plan-level strategies, to achieve equity in patient experience throughout the Medicaid managed care program," the study said.
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