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FACT BRIEF

Has Medicaid expansion improved health outcomes in US states?

By EconoFact
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YES

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to reduce the number of uninsured Americans through federal government subsidies of Medicaid coverage expansion. This Medicaid expansion was made optional to states, and as of October 2021 there were 12 U.S. states that have not yet implemented it. A study comparing outcomes of expansion vs. non-expansion states found a significant reduction in mortality in states that expanded Medicaid. Individuals aged 55 to 64 with either less than a high school degree or income under the threshold (138% of the Federal Poverty Level) experienced a 9.4% drop in mortality after expansion as compared to non-expansion states. Furthermore, research on states that already expanded Medicaid found no clear change in overall spending from state funds due to offsetting savings in health care costs.  

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Sources
National Bureau of Economic Research Fiscal Federalism and the Budget Impacts of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid Expansion
KFF Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Interactive Map
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EconoFact
EconoFact is a non-partisan publication designed to bring key facts and incisive analysis to the national debate on economic and social policies. Launched in January 2017, it is written by leading academic economists from across the country who belong to the EconoFact Network. It is published by the Edward R. Murrow Center for a Digital World at The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.