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Caregiver Eligibility for Support Services: Correlates and Consequences for Resource Utilization.

ABSTRACT: Policymakers and community organizations have implemented numerous programs and services to support the more than 40 million family caregivers in the United States. However, the existence of such services is not sufficient to ensure equitable and optimal access and utilization. Using data from the Caregiving in the US study (2015; n = 1,185), we estimated that nearly one in five family caregivers do not meet broad eligibility criteria for support services. This resource gap was particularly likely to affect high-priority populations such as those caring for someone with a mental health problem. Furthermore, ineligible caregivers had lower service utilization and increased financial strain. The findings highlight a pattern of vulnerability among caregivers who do not meet broad eligibility criteria for financial support resources. Careful policy consideration is needed to determine how support services should be allocated to maximize caregiver and care recipient outcomes at the population level.

SUBMITTER: Litzelman K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8099921 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Caregiver Eligibility for Support Services: Correlates and Consequences for Resource Utilization.

Litzelman Kristin K Harnish Autumn A

Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society 20201106 2

Policymakers and community organizations have implemented numerous programs and services to support the more than 40 million family caregivers in the United States. However, the existence of such services is not sufficient to ensure equitable and optimal access and utilization. Using data from the Caregiving in the US study (2015; <i>n</i> = 1,185), we estimated that nearly one in five family caregivers do not meet broad eligibility criteria for support services. This resource gap was particular ...[more]

PMID: 33155498

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Project description:ObjectiveTo assess the impact of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs on mental health and substance use services utilization and racial/ethnic disparities in care for these conditions.Data sourcesFive percent random sample of Medicare claims from 2009 to 2016.Study designWe compared Medicare beneficiaries in MSSP ACOs to non-MSSP beneficiaries, stratifying analyses by Medicare eligibility (disability vs age 65+). We estimated difference-in-difference models of MSSP ACOs on mental health and substance use visits (outpatient and inpatient), medication fills, and adequate care for depression adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, region, and chronic medical and behavioral health conditions. To examine the differential impact of MSSP on our outcomes by race/ethnicity, we used a difference-in-difference-in-differences (DDD) design.Data collection/extraction methodsNot applicable.Principal findingsMSSP ACOs were associated with small reductions in outpatient mental health (Coeff: -0.012, P < .001) and substance use (Coeff: -0.001, P < .01) visits in the disability population, and in adequate care for depression for both the disability- and age-eligible populations (Coeff: -0.028, P < .001; Coeff: -0.012, P < .001, respectively). MSSP ACO's were also associated with increases in psychotropic medications (Coeff: 0.007 and Coeff: 0.0213, for disability- and age-eligible populations, respectively, both P < .001) and reductions in inpatient mental health stays (Coeff:-0.004, P < .001, and Coeff:-0.0002, P < .01 for disability- and age-eligible populations, respectively) and substance use-related stays for disability-eligible populations (Coeff:-0.0005, P<.05). The MSSP effect on disparities varied depending on type of service.ConclusionsWe found small reductions in outpatient and inpatient stays and in rates of adequate care for depression associated with MSSP ACOs. As MSSP ACOs are placed at more financial risk for population-based treatment, it will be important to include more robust behavioral health quality measures in their contracts and to monitor disparities in care.

Dataset Information

Caregiver Eligibility for Support Services: Correlates and Consequences for Resource Utilization.

Publications

Caregiver Eligibility for Support Services: Correlates and Consequences for Resource Utilization.

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