A UCLA Health study links Medicaid insurance to poorer heart transplant survival due to higher CAV risk, with high-volume centers mitigating this disparity. Findings highlight the need for equitable post-transplant care.

A new UCLA Health study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery underscored the impact of socioeconomic factors and Medicaid insurance on survival rates after heart transplantation. The findings, which will be presented at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) annual meeting, revealed a higher risk of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV)—a major cause of long-term mortality—in Medicaid-insured patients.  

CAV contributes to over 30% of deaths within 5–10 years of heart transplantation. The study, analyzing patients before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA), found that Medicaid-insured recipients had worse survival rates, particularly in the post-ACA era. However, treatment at high-volume transplant centers reduced the risk of CAV for Medicaid patients, offering outcomes comparable to those without Medicaid.  

Dr. Peyman Benharash, cardiothoracic surgeon and co-author, stated that the high-volume centers provide specialized expertise and robust support systems, ensuring better access to medications and follow-up care. 

(Source:https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-medicaid-heart-transplant-patients-higher.html )