Health care costs associated with child maltreatment: Impact on Medicaid
Date
2013
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Pediatrics
Abstract
To estimate the increased Medicaid expenditures associated with child maltreatment.
Data on child maltreatment were collected from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent
Well-Being, a nationally representative sample of cases investigated or assessed by local Child
Protective Services agencies between October 1999 and December 2000. Medicaid claims data
for 2000 to 2003 were obtained from the Medicaid Analytic Extract (MAX). Children from the
National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being who had Medicaid were matched to the
MAX data by Social Security number or birthdate, gender, and zip code. Propensity score
matching was used to select a comparison group from the MAX data. Two-part regression
models were used to estimate the impact of child maltreatment on expenditures. Data with
individual identifiers were obtained under confidentiality agreements with the collecting
agencies. Children who were identified as maltreated or as being at risk of maltreatment
incurred, on average, Medicaid expenditures that were >$2600 higher per year compared with
children not so identified. This finding accounted for ∼9% of all Medicaid expenditures for
children. Child maltreatment imposes a substantial financial burden on the Medicaid system.
These expenses could be partially offset by increased investment in child maltreatment
prevention.
Description
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Keywords
health care, costs, child maltreatment, medicaid
Citation
Florence, C., Brown, D. S., Fang, X., & Thompson, H. F. (2013). Health care costs associated with child maltreatment: Impact on Medicaid. Pediatrics, 132(2), 312-318.