New Study Shows Prepared Safety Net Improves Care, Saves Money In Medicaid Expansion Population

A new study published July 7 in Health Affairs found that poor, uninsured patients who enrolled in a Medicaid-like insurance plan had better care and health outcomes than those who remained uninsured — all achieved with total costs of enrollees` care that were 28.7 percent below the spending cap allowed by the federal government. The study examined the impact of MetroHealth Care Plus, which extended Medicaid coverage to 28,295 Cuyahoga County residents before the expansion of Medicaid took place in Ohio. ÒThe results challenge recent reports and contribute to the ongoing debates on the value of expanding health care coverage to more poor Americans,Ó said Randall Cebul, MD, president and CEO of Better Health Partnership and lead author of the study. Read the news release.Read the news release