PHI Study Shows that Medicaid Can Improve Health Outcomes for Young Children with Sickle Cell Disease

“Medicaid programs may be optimally positioned to provide vital, initial care to newborns with sickle cell disease, according to findings from a cohort study.

A new research letter published in JAMA Network Open showed that 4 in 5 newborn children with sickle cell disease were enrolled in a Medicaid program within 3 years of life, typically with ≥30 months of consistent coverage. Combined with the fact that Medicaid often provides more coverage to patients with more severe sickle cell-related outcomes than private insurance, the investigators believe that early diagnosis of sickle cell disease combined with Medicaid coverage may improve long-term outcome opportunities for the youngest patients with the blood disorder.

Investigators led by Sophia S. Horiuchi, of the Tracking California Program at the Public Health Institute in Oakland, conducted a cohort analysis designed to assess the patterns of Medicaid coverage among children with sickle cell disease in the first 3 years of their lives. They specifically chose this duration of time given it being a “critical period to improve access to high-quality pediatric care.”

As they noted, US-born infants are generally screened for sickle cell disease via state-based newborn screening (NBS) programs—a strategy that which combined with improved preventive care strategies have led to improved survival rates among patients born with sickle cell disease.”

The study, “Medicaid Coverage in Early Childhood for Children With Sickle Cell Disease,” was published in Jama Network Open.

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Originally published by Contemporary Pediatrics