Table 1

Unadjusted rates in diabetes-related prescriptions pre-ACA and post-ACA Medicaid expansion between expansion groups

PrescriptionExpansionNon-expansion
Number of states2519
Metformin
 Pre-ACA, rate per 100 enrollees15.848.14
 Post-ACA, rate per 100 enrollees16.678.10
 Absolute change pre- to post-ACA0.83−0.04
 Absolute DID (95% CI)0.87 (0.866 to 0.886)Ref.
 Relative change pre-ACA to post-ACA5.3%−0.5%
 Relative DID (95% CI)1.058 (1.056 o 1.059)Ref.
Long-acting insulin
 Pre-ACA, rate per 100 enrollees6.694.79
 Post-ACA, rate per 100 enrollees6.784.68
 Absolute change pre-ACA to post-ACA0.09−0.11
 Absolute DID (95% CI)0.20 (0.195 to 0.210)Ref.
 Relative change pre-ACA to post-ACA1.4%−2.3%
 Relative DID (95% CI)1.038 (1.036 to 1.039)Ref.
Novel agents
 Pre-ACA, rate per 100 enrollees1.010.53
 Post-ACA, rate per 100 enrollees1.530.81
 Absolute change pre-ACA to post-ACA0.520.29
 Absolute DID (95% CI)0.23 (0.228 to 0.235)Ref.
 Relative change pre-ACA to post-ACA51.2%54.5%
 Relative DID (95% CI)0.978 (0.974 to 0.983)Ref.
  • Expansion states included 25 states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia) and the District of Columbia. A total of 19 non-expansion states included Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. During our study period, 6 states (New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Indiana, Louisiana, and Montana) expanded later and were excluded from this analysis. For each diabetes medication category, we performed generalized estimating equation (GEE) Poisson regression models with the following variables: an indicator denoting expansion status (state expand Medicaid vs did not expand), an indicator for period (pre-ACA vs post-ACA) and the interaction terms between expansion status and period. For all GEE models, we specified a Poisson distribution with a log link, an offset equal to log(Medicaid enrollees that year) and assumed an autoregressive correlation matrix of degree 1 to account for the autocorrelation of yearly observations within states.

  • ACA, Affordable Care Act; DID, difference-in-differences.