Kevin Callison Publications

How should payers balance fiscal sustainability with access to transformative medical technology? We study Louisiana’s 2019 Medicaid subscription model for hepatitis C (HCV), the first example of a U.S. state employing a two-part tariff to secure unlimited access to curative medicines. Using a differences-in-differences design comparing spending on beneficiaries with HCV to those with diabetes or HIV, we find that treatment volume tripled, medical spending fell, and new HCV diagnoses declined 23 percent. The state’s $37 million in incremental spending on antivirals generated $266 million in five-year savings. Innovative financing models can generate health benefits and near-term savings for payers.

This case-control study evaluates the impact of a hospitalization on credit scores for Medicaid beneficiaries in Louisiana stratified by sex, race, and ethnicity.

Hospitalizations can impose financial hardships on families,1,2 contributing to lower credit scores3 and reducing access to credit.1 Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients may struggle more with hospitalization costs due to lower wealth compared with non-Hispanic White patients.

We evaluated the impact of a hospitalization on credit scores for Medicaid beneficiaries in Louisiana, examining effects by sex, race, and ethnicity. Louisiana is a setting well-suited for this research given that it is a Medicaid expansion state, has relatively high levels of personal debt (which inform credit scores), and has a relatively diverse population.