Medicaid Enrollees Among Active Tuberculosis Disease Cases ¡ª Michigan, 2019¨C2023

What did we do?

• We sought to characterize demographic characteristics of persons with TB disease and their healthcare characteristics before diagnosis to better guide latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) testing and subsequent case management in Michigan.

What did we find?

• Approximately one-third of Michigan's TB cases occurred among persons with Medicaid coverage before TB diagnosis. Among 636 persons reported with TB in Michigan during 2019–2023, 255 (37%) also had Medicaid claims.
• Few Medicaid-enrolled patients received TB testing to identify and treat LTBI, potentially preventing incident TB. Among patients with Medicaid claims, 7 (3%) had LTBI testing before TB diagnosis; 3 received an LTBI diagnosis.
• Despite a high prevalence of epidemiologic risk factors for TB infection, TB patients with Medicaid were similar demographically to non-Medicaid enrolled patients.

Why does it matter?

• Approximately 13 million persons in the United States live with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI); without treatment, an estimated 5%–10% will develop active tuberculosis (TB) disease. Progression from LTBI accounts for approximately 80% of U.S. TB cases.

• LTBI is not a routinely reportable disease in Michigan.

Abstract Category: Tuberculosis