Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.


Urban Institute:
The Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansions And Personal Finance 


Results demonstrate financial improvements in states that expanded their Medicaid programs as measured by improved credit scores, reduced balances past due as a percent of total debt, reduced probability of a medical collection balance of $1,000 or more, reduced probability of having one or more recent medical bills go to collections, reduction in the probability of experiencing a new derogatory balance of any type, reduced probability of incurring a new derogatory balance equal to $1,000 or more, and a reduction in the probability of a new bankruptcy filing. (Caswell and Waidmann, 9/17)


Health Affairs:
Networks In ACA Marketplaces Are Narrower For Mental Health Care Than For Primary Care


Using data for 2016 from 531 unique provider networks in the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces, we evaluated how network size and the percentage of providers who participate in any network differ between mental health care providers and a control group of primary care providers. Compared to primary care networks, participation in mental health networks was low, with only 42.7 percent of psychiatrists and 19.3 percent of nonphysician mental health care providers participating in any network. (Zhu, Zhang and Polsky, 9/1)


Pediatrics:
Cost-Effectiveness Of Family-Based Obesity Treatment 


We translated family-based behavioral treatment (FBT) to treat children with overweight and obesity and their parents in the patient-centered medical home. … For families consisting of children and parents with overweight, FBT presents a more cost-effective alternative than an IC group. (Quattrin, Cao, Paluch et. al., 9/1)


This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.