A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that beneficiaries in states that expanded Medicaid insurance to everyone below a certain income threshold (via the Affordable Care Act) appear to be healthier than states that did not.
While the study notes that “no two states are exactly the same, of course” and that it is difficult to determine with certainty that Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid led to improved health outcomes, these findings are consistent with similar research noting that beneficiaries in Medicaid expansion states were less likely to postpone care or avoid taking prescribed drugs because of the cost, and that they were less likely to be struggling with a medical bill.