Quality of Hospital Care of Children With Asthma: Medicaid Versus Privately Insured Patients

Asthma is an important condition to study in the Medicaid population because it is the most frequent reason for hospital admission of Medicaid children, with rates substantially higher than those of non-Medicaid children. This study addressed how the quality of hospital care provided to children with asthma on Medicaid compares with that provided to privately insured children. Children inpatient records were studied in California, Georgia, and Michigan, comparing the care that was provided to standards created by a national panel of physician experts. Process-of-care analysis showed that Medicaid children in each state were more likely than privately insured children to be discharged on suboptimal medication regimens. This study concluded that hospitals serving Medicaid children, at least in these three states, are providing asthma inpatient care of fairly comparable quality to that of privately insured children. However, there remain significant problems surrounding outpatient medication regimens and follow-up care.