Health Care Access Improved In States With Traditional & Non-Traditional Medicaid Expansion

A comparison of health care access for low-income uninsured adults in Kentucky and Arkansas, which used different routes to expand Medicaid to low-income adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL), found that the uninsured rate declined in both states. The number of people who skipped medications due to cost and who reported trouble paying medical bills declined. The share of people with chronic conditions who obtained regular care increased.

Kentucky expanded its traditional Medicaid program by moving nearly all Medicaid beneficiaries into managed care plans, including the expansion population. Arkansas obtained a Medicaid waiver . . .