Louisiana's Medicaid expansion in July 2016 is associated with reduced travel for all medical service lines and especially helped Black Medicaid enrollees in nonmetropolitan areas, a January Health Affairs study found.
The study examined Louisiana Medicaid claims from Jan. 1, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2017. The sample comprised people who had claims before and after the expansion.
The reductions in travel ranged from 0.7 miles for specialty care to 3.46 miles for general practices. Black enrollees in nonmetropolitan areas experienced a 9.25-mile decrease in travel.
"Our findings provide further evidence of the beneficial effect of Medicaid expansion on distances traveled for care," the study said. "We provide evidence for the fact that Medicaid expansion contributed to the amelioration of preexisting race- and ethnicity-based inequalities that were contributing to higher barriers to obtain healthcare services for Black Medicaid beneficiaries."