Study: Ohio’s Medicaid expansion has led to better health, more employment

Nearly half of Ohio’s Medicaid expansion new enrollees reported improvement in their overall health status since enrolling in Medicaid, compared to 3.5 percent who said their health had worsened, according to a report released by the state’s Department of Medicaid. Among other findings, the report said Medicaid expansion has helped new Medicaid enrollees in terms of access to physical and mental health care; health care utilization and reduced emergency department use; detection of unknown or unaddressed prior health conditions (particularly chronic health conditions); security of and opportunities for employmemedicant; lessening of family financial stress; declines in medical debt-holding; and an increase in the ability to pay other non-medical bills. “These results suggest that Medicaid expansion has and will continue to improve the health of low-income Ohioans enrolled in Medicaid expansion,” the study notes. Ohio’s 2014 Medicaid expansion extended health care coverage to more than 700,000 low-income Ohioans as of May 2016.