Mapping Medicaid: A Comparative Analysis of State-Level Racial and Ethnic Data Collection to Federal Guidelines
AUTHORS
Rayan K. Salih, PharmD, Jon D. Campbell, PhD, Gabri’el D. Shabazz, MPH, and Tyler D. Wagner, PharmD, PhD of the National Pharmaceutical Council and Maitreyi Sahu, MSPH and Joseph L. Dieleman, PhD of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the University of Washington.
Overview
In Medicaid applications, accurate race and ethnicity data collection is paramount, guided by the 1997 Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) minimum standards required by federal law and the 2011 Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) detailed guidance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Study authors evaluated the consistency of state-level race and ethnicity applicant questions and assessed adherence to these federal directives to reinforce data integrity in healthcare policymaking. Based on findings, authors conclude that HHS's broader categories offer patients more precise identity options, reducing potential misclassification. While all states comply with OMB's standards, further incentives to adopt HHS's detailed classifications could amplify this progress.
