Out-of-State Acute Care Use Among Pediatric Medicaid Enrollees.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

For many US children, the nearest hospital may be out of state. Medicaid coverage differs by state, affecting access across state lines.

Objective

To evaluate the frequency of out-of-state acute care use for pediatric patients.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional study analyzed acute care hospital data for emergent and inpatient encounters among children younger than 16 years enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the 2021-2022 Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System Analytic File database. Analyses were conducted January to July 2025.

Exposure

Distance from a state border.

Main outcomes and measures

The primary outcome was out-of-state care. The percentages of encounters occurr

SUBMITTER: Michelson KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12505171 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature