Year of Publication

2013

College

Public Health

Date Available

4-25-2013

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)

Committee Chair

Dr. Julia Costich

Committee Member

Dr. Richard Ingram

Committee Member

Dr. Scott Hankins

Abstract

Abstract

Background:

Arizona, New York, and Maine expanded Medicaid eligibility to include nonelderly non-disabled childless adults between 2001 and 2002. This study examines whether this policy affects the percentage of uninsured nonelderly adult population and years of potential life lost in the state.

Methods

I compared the three states with Medicaid expansion with three other states with similar demographic characteristics but without expansions. The study population consists of uninsured adults between ages of 19 and 64 years of income equals or below 138% federal poverty level. I carried out a paired-samples t-test on the data and also plotted a line graph showing the trends of the uninsurance rate and YPLL before and after the implementation of the policy.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in the uninsurance rate 5 years before and after Medicaid expansion although it was on a downward trend after the expansion. The association between the expansion and increase in rate of Medicaid was statistically significant, p < 0.01. The trends of the YPLL across the states were not affected by the policy.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates an association between Medicaid expansion policy and downward trend in the percentage of the uninsured and increase in the proportion nonelderly adults on Medicaid.

Included in

Public Health Commons

Share

COinS