Differences in use of health services between White and African American children enrolled in Medicaid in North Carolina.

Objectives: Racial differences in health status and use of health services persist in the United States and are not completely explained by differences in socioeconomic status. This study examines differences in use of health services between White and African American children enrolled in Medicaid, controlling for other factors that affect service use. We make comparisons for use of primary preventive services, diagnosis and treatment of selected common childhood illnesses, and Medicaid expenditures.

Child participation in WIC: Medicaid costs and use of health care services.

Objectives: We used data from birth certificates, Medicaid, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to examine the relationship of child participation in WIC to Medicaid costs and use of health care services in North Carolina.

Methods: We linked Medicaid enrollment, Medicaid paid claims, and WIC participation files to birth certificates for children born in North Carolina in 1992. We used multiple regression analysis to estimate the effects of WIC participation on the use of health care services and Medicaid costs.