BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Medicaid Expansion’s Far-Reaching Benefits
With voters in Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah deciding in November if their state should adopt the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansion, our new chart book highlights the growing body of research on expansion’s far-reaching benefits — for those gaining coverage, their families, and their communities.
Expansion states have a 46 percent lower uninsured rate than non-expansion states, and the gap is widening (see chart). Medicaid enrollees have improved health care access, health outcomes, and financial security, among other things. More people with opioid use and other substance use disorders are getting treatment. And hospitals, particularly in rural areas, have seen improved financial health.
Thirty-two states plus Washington, D.C. have expanded Medicaid. The remaining states should join them.
