One of the major components of the Affordable Care Act was the ability for states to expand Medicaid with the support of federal subsidies to cover extra cost. However, this expansion has only occurred in about half of states due to concerns about the additional spending states must take on, even with the federal help, and doubts that it will improve the health of the new enrollees. But a new study might help to answer some of the questions about the effectiveness of the expansion after showing that new Medicaid recipients have a higher rate of first time doctor visits which has helped to diagnose certain diseases as diabetes and high cholesterol earlier. However, reports of improved health, even after the visits, have been slow to emerge although the study authors credited the slowness of improvement to the fact that many patients have not been getting treatment long enough to see the full effects emerge. In any event, this report helps clarify the impact that Medicaid expansion can have on health which is key as other states consider adopting the expansion.
See Phil Galewitz, Study: Medicaid Expansion Encourages More Poor Adults To Get Health Care, Kaiser Health News, April 18, 2016.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
