Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Autism Secondary Data Analysis Program - The proposed research addresses HRSA-MCH’s specific area of research interest in improving the quality and effectiveness of health care services and systems, with a focus on policies impacting children with autism. The prevalence of autism has grown rapidly in recent decades and affects children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Current insurance reform policies, enacted in all 50 states as of 2019, aim to increase access to health care services for children with autism and are targeted toward private insurance for coverage of integrated medical care and behavioral therapies. Published studies have shown that state insurance mandates increased health service utilization among privately insured children with autism. However, less is known about the relationship between coverage continuity and access to care following the mandates. Further, gaps in health coverage are more likely to impact underserved children from disadvantaged backgrounds, which is especially problematic given the intense health care service needs and associated costs and burdens experienced by families of children with autism. This study addresses disparities in health insurance stability among children with autism during the implementation of autism insurance legislation. By leveraging multi-year national datasets, the proposed study will 1) investigate the relationship between insurance stability among children with autism and their access to health care, and 2) examine state-level variations and explore the impact of insurance gaps on the effectiveness of health care services for children with autism. We will use two national representative datasets, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey sponsored by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the National Survey of Children’s Health sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to accomplish the specific aims of this proposed study. In order to provide a comprehensive picture of health insurance variations and changes following the mandates, multivariable regression models will be used to examine the associations between healthcare access/utilization outcomes and insurance patterns in children with autism, differences across various population groups, and the impacts of insurance gaps on health access, costs and outcomes. These findings will present current evidence on policy change and address the potential health care needs associated with insurance coverage gaps for US children with autism. Federal and state policies and programs need to address the critical issues of coverage stability and optimization of health insurance continuity following the implementation of autism insurance reform. Key Terms: Access to Health Care Services; Autism; Children; Disparities; Coverage Stability; Insurance Gap
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).