Drexel Explores ACA and Incentives to Reimburse Violence Intervention Programs

May 6, 2014

Jonathan Purtle, MPH '10, MSc, a DrPH candidate in the Department of Health Management and Policy, and Research Director of the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice at Drexel University, and Dr. Theodore Corbin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy, Medical Director of the Healing Hurt People program, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Drexel University College of Medicine coauthored the article “The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion creates incentive for state Medicaid agencies to provide reimbursement for hospital-based violence intervention programmes” published in Injury Prevention with a Drexel University College of Medicine Emergency Medicine resident.

This article examined how the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion is expected to cover more violent injuries, many of which require hospitalization; and furthermore, that this expanded coverage is estimated to save Medicaid millions of dollars annually by creating financial incentives for state Medicaid agencies to reimburse for hospital-based violence intervention services.

“The results of our analysis indicate that the ACA will result in state Medicaid agencies covering the costs of care for an increased number of non-fatal violent injuries," said Purtle. "There is new financial incentive for state Medicaid agencies to cover services that prevent violent re-injury and coordinate follow up medical care.”