Naples, FL — New research released today by the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) suggests that expanding Medicaid could shift millions of able-bodied adults off of private health insurance plans and onto Medicaid.
According to the report, nearly 54 percent of potential Medicaid expansion enrollees already have private insurance coverage. An additional 12 percent already have access to the ObamaCare exchange.
States that have expanded Medicaid to able-bodied adults have already seen significant crowd-out of private coverage. Arizona and Maine, for example, have both seen a decrease in the population covered by private insurance equal to the increase in the population enrolled in Medicaid.
“Most potentially-eligible adults in the remaining non-expansion states already have existing private insurance, or are eligible for coverage,” said Nic Horton, research director at FGA and co-author of the report. “Expanding Medicaid would move these able-bodied adults off of their private health insurance, exploding state budgets and robbing resources from the truly needy.”
Read the full report here.
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The Foundation for Government Accountability is a non-profit, multi-state think tank that specializes in health care, welfare, and work reform. To learn more, visit TheFGA.org.