Medicaid Expansion and the Affordable Care Act: A Fiscal Checkup

Badge Pickup and Security Inspection in the Lobby

The Affordable Care Act gave states the option of expanding Medicaid to cover the major population that generally had not previously been covered: non-elderly, non-disabled adults without dependent children. This panel will explore the experience of states that have chosen to expand coverage like Illinois, states that have chosen not to fully expand like Wisconsin and states like Indiana and Michigan that have waivers from the federal government to implement special versions of ACA Medicaid expansion. How has expanding or not expanding Medicaid affected budgets and health outcomes in these states?

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act was seen as a game changer for low income persons with mental illnesses. The new enrollees were disproportionately affected by mental health issues, but were previously uninsured and often lacked access to services. Panelists will discuss how Medicaid has and has not met the challenge of serving this population, including those involved with the criminal justice system.