A new report produced for the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concludes that Medicaid expansion provides a “win-win” for participating states and the government.
“Savings to state budgets are in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” said John Lumpkin, senior vice president at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in a public statement. Seven states that were early adopters of the Medicaid expansion effort provided under the Affordable Care Act will have saved over $1 billion this year, according to the report prepared by Manatt Health Solutions.
The report also found that those states that provided for Medicaid expansion expect to be able to lower their spending on programs for the uninsured.
As of Tuesday, 28 states had approved Medicaid expansion coverage, paving the way for millions of new low-income enrollees. The government will fully fund the additional coverage through the end of this year.
It remains to be seen, meanwhile, fully how and to what extent the long-term care industry will be affected by the historic enrollment explosion.
“Many states raise revenue through assessments or fees on providers and health plans,” the report states. “As provider and health plan revenue increases with expansion, this translates into additional revenue for states.”
