A recent study out of Harvard University shows that expansion of Medicaid programs may contribute to decreased death rates amongst the poor, elderly, disabled, and other vulnerable populations. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health recently released a study showing that in 2001 and 2002, three states which expanded Medicaid to include more people from vulnerable populations experienced a 6.1 percent decline in the death rate for people between ages 20 and 64 when compared to neighboring states.
Medicaid, the joint federal and state program designed to provide healthcare insurance to the impoverished and the needy, was set to expand greatly in 2014 under the terms of the Affordable Care Act. However, because the Supreme Court recently ruled that the Medicaid expansion provisions under the law were unconstitutional, states may choose to opt out of the Medicaid expansion provisions without suffering any penalties. This new study shows that states choosing to expand coverage may see a much healthier population than states which choose to opt out.
Under the expansion provisions of the Affordable Care Act, anyone making up to 1.3 times the national poverty level can receive Medicaid. This means that a family of four earning about $30,600 or less per year can receive health insurance through Medicaid programs in states that choose to adopt the expansion. Currently, different states have very different application guidelines for those seeking Medicaid. For example, Texas limits Medicaid coverage only to the disabled, children, and parents who earn $2,256 per year or less for a family of three.
We’ll be covering some Medicaid related issues at our next free workshop in Hornaell, Bath and Corning, New York on September 11 and 12. You can contact us for more information about this workshop, or those we’re planning for the fall, or find more information on our website at www.mrobinsonlaw.com.
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
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