Publications

Peer-Reviewed Manuscript Publications

  1. Gupta A, Johnston KJ. To empower consumer choice, standardize and measure quality of Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits. Health Affairs Forefront. 2025 January 13; https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/empower-consumer-choice-standardize-and-measure-quality-medicare-advantage-supplemental
  2. Johnston KJ, Hendricks M, Dabas M, et al. Nationwide availability of and enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid dual-eligible special needs plans with exclusively aligned enrollment. JAMA Health Forum. 2024;5(10):e243546. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.3546
  3. Johnston KJ, Roberts ET, Figueroa JF. Helping dual-eligible individuals navigate Medicare and Medicaid. JAMA. Published online October 16, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.20355.
  4. Gupta A, Johnston KJ, Silver D, Meyers DJ, Glied SA, Pagán JA. Cost-associated unmet dental, vision, and hearing needs among low-income Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Health Aff (Millwood). 2024 Oct;43(10):1392-1399. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00210. PMID: 39374461.
  5. Everhart AO, Lyu PF, Hockenberry JM, Johnston KJ. Medicare Part B clinician payment programs and the growing costs of administrative complexity. Health Affairs Forefront. 2024 September 11; https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/medicare-part-b-clinician-payment-programs-and-growing-costs-administrative-complexity
  6. Zhang Z, Subramaniam DS, Howard SW, Johnston KJ, Frick WH, Enard K, Hinyard L. Use of palliative care among adults with newly diagnosed heart failure: insights from a US national insured patient sample. J Am Heart Assoc. 2024. doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.124.035459
  7. Johnston KJ, Figueroa JF, Roberts ET. Are Medicare Advantage contract terminations bad for Medicare beneficiaries? JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Aug 1;7(8):e2428235. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.28235. PMID: 39163049.
  8. Roberts ET, Duggan C, Stein R, Jonnadula S, Johnston KJ, Figueroa JF. Quality, spending, utilization, and outcomes among dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries in integrated care programs: A Systematic Review. JAMA Health Forum. 2024;5(7):e242187. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.2187
  9. Wen H, Halbisen A, Johnston KJ, Druss BG. Rural and urban trends in mental health readmissions. JAMA Psychiatry. 2024 Jun 5:e241304. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1304. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38837129; PMCID: PMC11154363.
  10. Ma Y, Roberts ET, Johnston KJ, Orav EJ, Figueroa JF. Medicaid eligibility loss among dual-eligible beneficiaries before and during COVID-19 public health emergency. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Apr 1;7(4):e245876. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5876. PMID: 38602676. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38602676/
  11. Figueroa JF, Duggan C, Macneal E, Johnston KJ, Roberts ET. Will CMS’s proposed rule promote integrated care for dual-eligible beneficiaries?. Health Affairs Forefront. 2024 February 23; https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20240220.535663
  12. Johnston KJ, Hendricks MA, Pollack HA. Closing gaps in public services for US residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. JAMA Pediatr. Published online February 19, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.6038. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2815285
  13. Hockenberry JM, Wen H, Druss BG, Loux T, Johnston KJ. No Improvement in mental health treatment or patient-reported outcomes at Medicare ACOs for depression and anxiety disorders. Health Aff (Millwood). 2023 Nov;42(11):1478-1487. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00345. PMID: 37931192. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37931192/
  14. Barnes JM, Johnston KJ, Johnson KJ, Chino F, Osazuwa-Peters N. State public assistance spending and survival among adults with cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Sep 5;6(9):e2332353. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.32353. PMID: 37669050; PMCID: PMC10481229.
  15. Gong JH, Johnston KJ, Meyers DJ. Proportion of physicians who treat patients with greater social and clinical risk and physician inclusion in Medicare Advantage networks. JAMA Health Forum. 2023 Jul 7;4(7):e231991. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.1991. PMID: 37477925; PMCID: PMC10362476.
  16. Johnston KJ, Loux T, Joynt Maddox KE. Risk selection and care fragmentation at Medicare accountable care organizations for patients with dementia. Med Care. 2023 Aug 1;61(8):570-578. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001876. Epub 2023 Jun 13. PMID: 37411003; PMCID: PMC10328553.
  17. Roberts ET, Johnston KJ, Figueroa JF. Integrating Medicare and Medicaid coverage for dual eligibles-recommendations for reform. JAMA. 2023 Jul 13. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.8879. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37440224.
  18. Ma Y, Frakt AB, Roberts ET, Johnston KJ, Phelan J, Figueroa JF. Rapid enrollment growth in ‘Look-Alike’ dual-eligible special needs plans: A threat to integrated care. Health Aff (Millwood). 2023 Jul;42(7):919-927. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00103. PMID: 37406231.
  19. Johnston KJ, Pollack HA. COVID-19 reveals longstanding health inequities and discrimination against Americans with disabilities. Medical Care. 2023;61(2):55-57. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001810. PMID: 36630556.
  20. Johnston KJ, Chin MC, Pollack HA. Health equity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. JAMA. 2022;328(16):1587-88. doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.18500. PMID: 36206010.
  21. Ma Y, Johnston KJ, Yu H, Wharam JF, Wen H. State mandatory paid sick leave associated with a decline in emergency department use in the US, 2011-19. Health Affairs. 2022;41(8):1169-1175. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00098. PMID: 35914204.
  22. Joynt Maddox KE, Johnston KJ. Advancing equity for the dually eligible population in alternative payment models. Health Affairs Forefront. 2022 May 9; doi: 10.1377/forefront.20220506.72938.
  23. Qi AC, Joynt Maddox KE, Bierut LJ, Johnston KJ. Comparison of performance of psychiatrists vs other outpatient physicians in the 2020 US Medicare Merit-based Incentive Payment System. JAMA Health Forum. 2022;3(3): e220212. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.0212. PMID: 35977292; PMCID: PMC8956979.
  24. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Pollack HA. Comparison of ambulatory care access and quality for beneficiaries with disabilities covered by Medicare Advantage vs traditional Medicare insurance. JAMA Health Forum. 2022;3(1):e214562. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.4562. PMID: 35977235; PMCID: PMC8903104.
  25. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Kotwal A, Joynt Maddox KE. Comparing preventable acute care use of rural versus urban Americans: an observational study of national rates during 2008-2017. J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(12):3728-3736. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06532-4. PMID: 33511571; PMCID: PMC8642477.
  26. Johnston KJ, Hammond G, Meyers DJ, Joynt Maddox KE. Association of race and ethnicity and Medicare program type with ambulatory care access and quality measures. JAMA. 2021;326(7):628 – 36(7). doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.10413. PMID: 34402828; PMCID: PMC8371568.
  27. Pollack HA, Johnston KJ, Wen H. Americans with disabilities are a health disparity population that deserve greater attention and resources. Milbank Quarterly Opinion. 2021 Jul 22; doi: 10.1599/mqop.2021.0722.
  28. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Joynt Maddox KE, Pollack HA. Ambulatory care access and emergency department use for Medicare beneficiaries with and without disabilities. Health Affairs. 2021;40(6):910-19. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01891. PMID: 34097512.
  29. Meyers DJ, Johnston KJ. The growing importance of Medicare Advantage in health policy and health services research. JAMA Health Forum. 2021;2(3): e210235. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.0235.
  30. Johnston KJ, Meyers DJ, Hammond G, Joynt Maddox KE. Association of clinician minority patient caseload with performance in the 2019 Medicare Merit-based Incentive Payment System. JAMA. 2021;325(12):1221-23. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.0031. PMID: 33755064; PMCID: PMC7988362.
  31. Joynt Maddox KE, Johnston KJ. Value-based cardiovascular care: developing cost measures for percutaneous coronary intervention. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2021;14(3): e007753. doi: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.121.007753. PMID: 33653115.
  32. Johnston KJ, Hockenberry JM, Joynt Maddox KE. Building a better clinician value-based payment program in Medicare. JAMA. 2021;325(2):129-30. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.22924. PMID: 33337479.
  33. Wiemken T, Wright M, Johnston KJ. Association of hospital-area deprivation with hospital performance on health care associated infection rates in 2018. American Journal of Infection Control. 2020;48(12):1478-84. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.05.038. PMID: 32512080.
  34. Osazuwa-Peters N, Barnes J, Megwalu U, Boakye E, Johnston KJ, Gaubatz M, Johnson K, Panth N, Sethi R, Varvares M. State Medicaid expansion status, insurance coverage and stage at diagnosis in head and neck cancer patients. Oral Oncology. 2020;110:104870. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104870. PMID: 32629408.
  35. Johnston KJ, Wiemken T, Hockenberry J, Figueroa J, Joynt Maddox K. Association of clinician health system affiliation with outpatient performance ratings in the Medicare Merit-Based Incentive Payment System. JAMA. 2020;324(10):984-92. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.13136. PMID: 32897346; PMCID: PMC7489823.
  36. Johnston KJ, Hockenberry J, Wadhera R, Joynt Maddox K. Clinicians with high socially-at-risk caseloads received reduced Merit-Based Incentive Payment System scores. HealthAffairs. 2020;39(9):1504 – doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00350. PMID: 32897781.
  37. Turner J, Broom K, Howard S, Johnston KJ, Freeman S, Englund T. Volatility and persistence of value-based purchasing adjustments: a challenge to integrating population health and community benefit activities into business operations. Frontiers in Public Health. 2020; 8:165. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00165. PMID: 32582599; PMC7296160.
  38. Hammond G, Johnston KJ, Huang K, Joynt Maddox K. Social determinants of health improve predictive accuracy of clinical risk models for cardiovascular hospitalization, annual cost, and death. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2020;13(6):290-99. doi: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.120.006752. PMID: 32412300; PMCID: PMC7299736.
  39. Shashikumar S, Luke A, Johnston KJ, Joynt Maddox K. Assessment of heart failure outcomes using a claims-based frailty index. JACC Heart Failure. 2020;8(6)481-88. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2019.12.012. PMID: 32387065.
  40. Johnston KJ, Mittler J, Hockenberry J. Patient social risk factors and continuity of care for Medicare beneficiaries. Health Services Research. 2020;55(3):445-56. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13272. PMID:32037553; PMCID: PMC7240776.
  41. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Joynt Maddox K. Relationship of a claims-based frailty index to annualized Medicare costs: a cohort study. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;172(8):533-40. doi: 10.7326/M19-PMID: 32252070.
  42. Johnston KJ, Bynum J, Joynt Maddox K. The need to incorporate additional patient information into risk adjustment for Medicare beneficiaries. JAMA. 2020;323(10):925-26. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.22370. PMID: 31999298.
  43. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Joynt Maddox K. Inadequate risk adjustment impacts geriatricians’ performance on Medicare cost and quality measures. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2020;68(2):297- doi: 10.1111/jgs.16297. PMID: 31880310.
  44. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Joynt Maddox K. Lack of access to specialists associated with mortality and preventable hospitalizations of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Health Affairs. 2019;38(12):1993-2002. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00838. PMID: 31794307.
  45. Wen H, Johnston KJ, Allen L, Waters T. Medicaid expansion associated with reductions in preventable hospitalizations. Health Affairs. 2019;38(11):1845-1849. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00483. PMID: 31682506.
  46. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Schootman M, Joynt Maddox K. Association of patient social, cognitive, and functional risk factors with preventable hospitalizations: implications for physician value-based payment. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2019;34(8):1645-52. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05009-3. PMID: 31025305; PMCID: PMC6667509.
  47. Johnston KJ, Thorpe K, Murphy D, Jacob J. The incremental cost of infections associated with multidrug-resistant organisms in the inpatient hospital setting–a national estimate. Health Services Research. 2019;54(4):782-92. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13135. PMID: 30864179; PMCID: PMC6606543.
  48. Johnston KJ, Joynt Maddox K. The role of social, cognitive, and functional risk factors in Medicare spending for dual and non-dual enrollees. Health Affairs. 2019;38(4):569-76. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05032. PMID: 30933581.
  49. Boakye E, Johnston KJ, Moulin T, Buchanan P, Hinyard L, Tobo B, Massa S, Osazuwa-Peters N. Factors associated with head and neck cancer hospitalization cost and length of stay–a national study. American Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2019;42(2):172-78. doi: 10.1097/COC.0000000000000487. PMID: 30300170.
  50. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Hockenberry J, Joynt Maddox K. Association between patient cognitive and functional status and Medicare total annual cost of care: implications for value-based payment. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2018;178(11):1489-97. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.4143. PMID:30242381; PMCID: PMC6248196.
  51. Thorpe K, Joski P, Johnston KJ. National health care costs for treating antibiotic-resistant infections exceed $2 billion annually and have doubled over the past 12 years. Health Affairs. 2018;37(4):662-69. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1153. PMID: 29561692.
  52. Johnston KJ, Allen L, Melanson T, Pitts S.A patch to the NYU emergency department visit algorithm. Health Services Research. 2017;52(4):1265-76. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12638. PMID: 28726238; PMCID: PMC5517669.
  53. Johnston KJ. Hockenberry J. Are two heads better than one or do too many cooks spoil the broth? The tradeoff between physician division of labor and patient continuity of care for older adults with complex chronic conditions. Health Services Research. 2016;51(6):2176-2205. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12600. PMID: 27891605; PMCID: PMC5134216.
  54. Johnston E, Johnston KJ, Bae J, Hockenberry J, Milstein A, Becker E. Impact of hospital diagnosis specific quality measures on patients’ experience of hospital care: evidence from 14 states, 2009-2011. Patient Experience Journal. 2016;3(1):80-91. doi: 10.35680/2372-0247.1128.
  55. Snetselaar L, Ahrens L, Johnston KJ, Smith K, Hollinger D, Hockenberry J. A participatory integrated health promotion and protection worksite intervention: a cluster randomized trial. Topics in Clinical Nutrition. 2016;31(1):36-46. doi: 10.1097/tin.0000000000000056. PMID: 32565613; PMCID: PMC7304740.
  56. Johnston E, Johnston KJ, Bae J, Hockenberry J, Avgar A, Milstein A, Liu S,Wilson I, Becker E. Impact of hospital characteristics on patients’ experience of hospital care: evidence from 14 states, 2009-2011. Patient Experience Journal. 2015;2(2):109-24. doi: 10.35680/2372-0247.1089.
  57. Johnston KJ, Hockenberry J, Rask K, Cunningham L, Brigham K, Martin G. Health care expenditures for university and academic medical center employees enrolled in a pilot workplace health partner intervention. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2015;57(8):897-903. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000488. PMID: 26247644; PMCID: PMC5674521.
  58. Becker E, Johnston KJ, Bae J, Hockenberry J, Avgar A. Variation in patients’ hospital care experience by states’ strategy for Medicaid expansion. Patient Experience Journal. 2015;2(1):124-42. doi:10.35680/2372-0247.1067.

Peer-Reviewed Oral Conference Paper Presentations

  1. Johnston KJ. Depression and anxiety disorders explain substantial residual costs unexplained by Medicare’s new risk adjustment model. 13th Annual Conference of the American Society of Health Economics; June 2024.
  2. Johnston KJ, Loux T, Joynt Maddox KE. Diagnosis and treatment for Alzheimer disease among Medicare beneficiaries in Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations vs standard care in Medicare Part B. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting; June 2022.
  3. Ma Y, Johnston KJ, Yu H, Wharam JF, Wen H. State mandatory paid sick leave associated with a decline in emergency department use. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting; June 2022.
  4. Johnston KJ,Wen H, Pollack HA. Comparing Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare on ambulatory care access and quality for beneficiaries with disabilities. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting; June 2021.
  5. Johnston KJ, Wen H, Joynt Maddox KE. Adding a claims-based frailty index to Medicare’s risk adjustment model can improve prediction of annual Medicare costs and enable more equitable reimbursement. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting; June 2020.
  6. Wen H, Allen L, Johnston KJ, Waters T. The impact of Medicaid expansion on preventable hospitalizations. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting; June 2018.
  7. Johnston KJ, Hockenberry J. Are two heads better than one or do too many cooks spoil the broth? The tradeoff between physician division of labor and patient continuity of care for older adults with complex chronic conditions. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting; June 2016.
  8. Johnston KJ, Hockenberry J, Rask K, Cunningham L, Brigham K, Martin G. Health care expenditures for university and academic medical center employees enrolled in a pilot workplace health partner intervention. AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting; June 2014.
  9. Johnston KJ. A portable risk model for predicting and avoiding ambulatory-care sensitive diabetic hospitalization. Academy Health Annual Research Meeting; June 2012.