TY - JOUR
T1 - Is the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion Associated With Reported Incidents of Child Sexual Abuse?
AU - Assini-Meytin, Luciana C.
AU - Nair, Reshmi
AU - McGinty, Emma B.
AU - Stuart, Elizabeth A.
AU - Letourneau, Elizabeth J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant #U01 CE002947-01 (Elizabeth J. Letourneau, Principal Investigator and Emma Beth McGinty, Co-Principal Investigator) and Annie E. Casey Grant #GA-2015-X3200.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - There is substantial evidence that adequate access to healthcare among low-income adults through the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion mitigates risk factors associated with childhood maltreatment, including parental financial insecurity, substance use, and poor mental health. Indeed, studies identified reduced reports of child neglect in states that expanded Medicaid, relative to those that did not. However, it is unknown whether Medicaid expansion is associated with reported child sexual abuse (CSA). We present findings from a study evaluating the association of Medicaid expansion with incidents of CSA reported to child protective services. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we analyzed data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System to examine the effects of state-level adoption of the Medicaid expansion on CSA reports per 100,000 children across 2008–2018. Results indicated no statistically significant association between Medicaid expansion and CSA incidents. We discuss potential reasons for differential association of macro-level policies on types of child maltreatment.
AB - There is substantial evidence that adequate access to healthcare among low-income adults through the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion mitigates risk factors associated with childhood maltreatment, including parental financial insecurity, substance use, and poor mental health. Indeed, studies identified reduced reports of child neglect in states that expanded Medicaid, relative to those that did not. However, it is unknown whether Medicaid expansion is associated with reported child sexual abuse (CSA). We present findings from a study evaluating the association of Medicaid expansion with incidents of CSA reported to child protective services. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we analyzed data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System to examine the effects of state-level adoption of the Medicaid expansion on CSA reports per 100,000 children across 2008–2018. Results indicated no statistically significant association between Medicaid expansion and CSA incidents. We discuss potential reasons for differential association of macro-level policies on types of child maltreatment.
KW - Medicaid expansion
KW - child sexual abuse
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125519306&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/10775595221079605
DO - 10.1177/10775595221079605
M3 - Article
C2 - 35213252
AN - SCOPUS:85125519306
SN - 1077-5595
VL - 28
SP - 203
EP - 208
JO - Child maltreatment
JF - Child maltreatment
IS - 2
ER -