Follow-Up Care After Emergency Department Visits for Mental and Substance Use Disorders Among Medicaid Beneficiaries

Objective:This study examined whether characteristics of Medicaid beneficiaries were associated with receipt of follow-up care after discharge from the emergency department (ED) following a visit for mental or substance use disorders.Methods:Medicaid fee-for-service claims from 15 states and the District of Columbia in 2008 were used to calculate whether adults received follow-up (seven and 30 days) after being discharged from the ED following a visit for mental disorders (N=31,952 discharges) or substance use disorders (N=13,337 discharges). Random-effects logistic regression was used to model the odds of receiving follow-up as a function of beneficiary characteristics.Results:Receipt of follow-up varied widely across states and by beneficiary characteristics. The odds of seven- and 30-day follow-up after mental health ED discharges were lower among males; African Americans versus whites; and beneficiaries who qualified for Medicaid on the basis of income rather than disability, beneficiaries with depres...