Medicaid Beneficiaries With Autism Have 14-Year Lower Life Expectancy Than The General U.S. Population

Medicaid beneficiaries diagnosed with autism had an average life expectancy of 65 years, approximately six years lower than the average for all Medicaid beneficiaries and 14 years lower than for the general U.S. population, according to an analysis of Medicaid enrollment and mortality data from 2000 to 2020. The findings identify a substantial life expectancy gap among Medicaid beneficiaries with autism, although the researchers noted that characteristics of the Medicaid population may have influenced the estimates.

The life expectancy gap was larger among women than among men. Women with autism had a life expectancy 8.2 years lower than . . .