Gov. Rick Scott and his Agency for Health Care Administration might not know if the Senate’s FHIX and Medicaid expansion will help provide health care coverage to more Floridians, but the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) does. CEA released this morning its estimates of the health and economic benefits if Florida decides to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
As Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Jason Furman wrote, the report “leaves no doubt that the consequences of States’ decisions are far-reaching, with major implications for the health of their citizens and their economies.â€
Florida’s decisions to expand Medicaid would have major health benefits for its low-income citizens, including:
· Greater insurance coverage: Expanding Medicaid will increase the number of the State’s citizens with insurance coverage. The report cites estimates that if Florida expanded Medicaid, an additional 750,000 people would have insurance coverage in 2016.
· Improved access to care: Expanding Medicaid improves access to needed medical services, including primary and preventive care. The report estimates the number of additional Florida citizens that would get their cholesterol checked and receive a mammogram or pap smear each year [Table 2]. It also estimates the number of additional people who would receive all needed care and have a usual source of clinic care if Florida expanded Medicaid.
· Better health: By improving access to care, expanding coverage through Medicaid improves mental and physical health. The report estimates that if Florida expanded Medicaid, 100,000 additional individuals would report being in good (or better) health and 69,000 fewer individuals would experience symptoms of depression.
· Greater financial security: Expanding Medicaid reduces the risk of financial hardship due to sickness. The report estimates that if Florida expanded Medicaid, 106,700 fewer people will have trouble paying other bills due to the burden of medical costs.
The report also finds that Florida’s decision to expand Medicaid would generate important economic benefits:
· A higher standard of living: States that expand Medicaid bring billions of dollars into their economies. That funding boosts the standard of living of the State’s citizens both by improving the lives of the newly-insured and by reducing the burden of uncompensated care for providers, taxpayers, and the privately insured. The report estimates that by not expanding Medicaid, Florida will miss out on $5.9 billion in federal funding in 2016.
· Lower uncompensated care: Uncompensated care costs would be $790 million lower in 2016 if expanded coverage was fully in effect in Florida.
“The administration is willing to work with any state interested in expanding Medicaid, said Vikki Wachino Acting Director, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. “We are committed to supporting state flexibility and working with states on innovative solutions that expand Medicaid to low-income individuals in accordance with the law’s goals and consumer protections, while securing quality, affordable health coverage and growing a state’s economy.â€
The full CEA report provides a detailed discussion of the evidence and methodology used to produce these estimates and State-by-State tables breaking down these and other consequences of Medicaid expansion. It is available for download here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/medicaidmissedopportunities2015_final_v3.pdf