For the study, published in Health Affairs, researchers used information from a nationally representative survey as well as Medicaid waiver data to determine how waivers impacted parental employment from 2005 to 2006 and 2009 to 2010.
They found waivers effectively helped parents remain employed, according to a news release. Additionally, they found increases in the Medicaid home and community-based services waiver cost limit and enrollment limit significantly reduced the likelihood that a parent had to stop working, according to the study. Researchers did note results varied considerably by household income level.
The study, which took into account waiver characteristics across states, found state Medicaid waiver programs increasing cost limits — making waivers more generous and putting more services into homes — helped the most in lower-income households, according to the release. On the contrary, the release states, waiver programs increasing enrollment limits — allowing more families to receive benefits — made the biggest difference in higher-income households.
“Our study demonstrates waiver characteristics are significantly associated with reduced risk that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder will stop working and that these effects vary considerably by household income. As the policy landscape related to ASD services continues to evolve, families of children with ASD are still likely to face significant challenges in accessing needed services,” researchers concluded. “The results of this study will be important to policymakers as they consider different tools to help meet the needs of this vulnerable population.”
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