In 2008, Oregon established a Medicaid enrollment lottery for poor, working-age adults who were previously ineligible for coverage. Through this system, 89,824 residents gained insurance.
An ongoing study has shown that the newly insured adults feel healthier, happier and more financially stable. However, they also spend an average 25 percent more on healthcare than those who did not win insurance, according to the report. Although still early in the study, these results suggest the belief that health coverage can save money through increased preventive care may be misguided.
This study has implications for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s requirement that in 2014 states expand Medicaid eligibility to all adults within 133 percent of the poverty line.
More Articles on State Medicaid:
New York Medicaid Asks for $17.1B Waiver for Reinvestment
2 Major Implications of the PPACA Ruling for Emergency Departments
North Carolina Health Advocates Urge State to Restore Medicaid Funding
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