Medicaid Coverage Linked to Increased Post-Transplant Risks for Heart Recipients

Medicaid offers vital coverage for heart transplant patients, supporting care, procedures, and recovery.

New study reveals a connection between socioeconomic disadvantage, Medicaid insurance, and lower survival rates after heart transplantation. The research found that heart transplant patients with Medicaid insurance face a higher risk of developing cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), a condition that impacts transplanted hearts and reduces long-term survival. CAV is linked to over 30% of deaths within 5 to 10 years after heart transplantation.

The study, which included heart transplant recipients aged 18 and older, divided into Medicaid and Non-Medicaid cohorts, and pre-and post-Affordable Care Act (ACA) eras, found that Medicaid-insured patients had a higher likelihood of developing CAV over 5 years, with worse survival rates, particularly in the post-ACA era. It is published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

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#Medicaid-insured #hearttransplant patients may have a higher risk of developing complications, but this risk seems to be lower at high-volume transplant centers. #healthinsurance

What is Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy

“CAV is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality following heart transplant. Our work demonstrates that socioeconomic disadvantage influences the risk of CAV in the months and years following this life-saving operation,” said Sara Sakowitz, a medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and first author of the study.

“Although the ACA has expanded access to heart transplantation for previously uninsured patients, significant barriers to accessing longitudinal post-transplant treatment, affordable medications, and equitable, high-quality care remain.”

Notably, the study found that the risk of developing CAV was mitigated with treatment at high-volume transplant centers.

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Several factors contribute to why patients at high-volume transplant centers fared better. “Patients treated at high-volume transplant centers often benefit from specialized expertise, comprehensive care, and robust patient support systems,” said Peyman Benharash, a cardiothoracic surgeon at UCLA Health, director of the ECMO program and corresponding author of the study.

“These centers are equipped with dedicated teams and streamlined protocols that ensure consistent follow-up and access to essential medications, significantly improving post-transplant outcomes and survival rates."

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Source-Eurekalert