An Examination of the Perceived Impact of Medicaid Expansion on United States of America’s Economy

Babatunde Ademola Akinbobola

doi:10.7176/ppar/11-1-04

Abstract

Health disparities is a major concern to policymakers across the 50 states of USA. At the same time access to affordable healthcare is a major challenge and very political in the country. Despite the health disparity challenge little is known about how lack of access to affordable care has contributed to health disparity. As a result, this particular study has utilized descriptive study, available data, and literature to address the little gap. The analysis of this study has shown that Medicaid together with the ACA have played a major role in the reduction of the number of people without health insurance coverage in the United States. Therefore, further expansion of the ACA and the Medicaid insurance program will go a long way to expand the impact of the ACA in addressing the obvious health disparity that the country is battling with in the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic. It has also been observed in the literature that the passage of the ACA broke the political deadlock that long thwarted the national progress toward equitable, quality, universal, affordable health care. Again, it was further observed that the ACA and the expansion of Medicaid are perceived to extend coverage for the uninsured individuals who are unduly under the low-income category and people of color, edges health insurance mishandlings, and ensures improvements in the quality of care. Given the above narratives and significance of the expansion of the ACA and Medicaid health insurance policy, it is more prudent for all the 50-states across the United States of America to adopt and expand ACA and Medicaid policy in order to reduce health disparity and also ensures economic growth and development. Keywords: Medicaid, Health-Disparity, Development, Growth, ACA, Policy, Economy DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/11-1-04 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

Highlights

Health insurance coverage is one of the significant element citizens of many countries across the globe get from their political leaders
Out of the 66, about 60 of the total articles argued that healthcare affordability and financial security could be achieved through the expansion of Medicaid or Affordable Care Act (ACA) among citizens, which as a result will have positive impact on health outcomes, thereby minimizing health disparities, while the remaining 6 articles revealed a mixed finding towards the health outcomes
There is an undeniable fact that expanding the Medicaid coverage will contribute to access to insurance coverage for the most vulnerable and people with underlying conditions; improve access and utilization of care; appreciate the payer mix strategy; ensures healthcare affordability and financial security and contribute positively to economies of the various states, and above ensures positive health outcomes as a way to minimize health disparities and inequity

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Health insurance coverage is one of the significant element citizens of many countries across the globe get from their political leaders. About 28% of the total federal employment activities which are associated with Medicaid functions in the country goes to inpatient care, 14% goes to outpatient care, 23% goes to physicians and other professions in the healthcare markets, 20% goes pharmacy assistance, 9% goes to administration of programs, and 6% of the payment goes other medical services. Out of the 66, about 60 of the total articles argued that healthcare affordability and financial security could be achieved through the expansion of Medicaid or Affordable Care Act (ACA) among citizens, which as a result will have positive impact on health outcomes, thereby minimizing health disparities, while the remaining 6 articles revealed a mixed finding towards the health outcomes (or were indifferent in the impacts) (see Figure 5 for more details). Out of the 17 articles, 9 of the reviewed articles argued that the expansion of Medicaid is expected to exert a considerable positive on health outcomes, while 6 of the articles had mixed findings or were indifferent between positive and negative, but the remaining 2 articles underscored in their findings that depending on the nature of the implementation of the expansion of the Medicaid program or policy could end up having a negative impact on health outcomes (see Figure 5 for more details)

CONCLUSION

Findings

Results