CSHP Medicaid-Related Portfolio

Autism and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD)

CSHP Director Lindsay Shea, DrPH, MS has led several research and community-based projects and developed new approaches to autism research, including the use of national Medicaid claims data. Medicaid is the largest behavioral health insurer in the US and is a major source of health services utilization data for the autism community.

The National Autism Data Center (NADC) works with national data sources that contain information about autistic people and their experiences. This includes data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which covers people who make below a certain amount of income, as well as by disability status. Records contain services billed to Medicare or Medicaid during times of enrollment, and include information on diagnoses, procedures, prescriptions, providers, and the patient.

These aren't just large files of administrative records; they're a window into how systems are or aren't serving people.

Lindsay L. Shea, DrPH, MS

Medicaid covers medical services and services to support people living in the community. NADC Medicaid data includes information about individuals of all ages and includes all autistic people and people with intellectual disability in the data, as well as a random sample of 3.4 million people who are not autistic and don’t have an intellectual disability. The NADC currently has Medicaid claims from years 2008-2020.

Learn More About the NADC

For more information about CSHP’s evaluation of Medicaid 1115 demonstration components focusing on members with Autism and/or IDD, please see the Section 1115 Demonstrations landing page.