A lack of insurance is associated with poorer care quality and patient outcomes among adults hospitalized for a heart attack, a study published in JAMA Cardiology found.
The study included 325,000 patients younger than 65 who were hospitalized for a heart attack. The researchers examined patient outcomes such as risk of death and prolonged hospital stay.
The researchers found state Medicaid expansion was linked to a significant reduction in rates of uninsurance among these patients. Care quality and outcomes, however, did not improve among low-income adults in expansion states compared with nonexpansion states.
"Three years after Medicaid expansion, states have experienced substantial declines in uninsured [heart attack] hospitalizations, which has important implications regarding the financial protection of low-income patients; hospital care for [heart attacks] may be less sensitive to insurance than has been recognized in the past," the researchers concluded.