Medicaid expansion has reduced racial and ethnic disparities in coverage and access to care

Research from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) finds that Medicaid expansion has extended health coverage to more than 12 million people across the 36 states (and D.C.) that have implemented expansion. If the states that have not yet implemented expansion were to do so, an estimated 4 million people would become newly eligible for Medicaid. Importantly, Medicaid expansion was found to reduce disparities both in health coverage and access to care for people of color. While not stratified by race or ethnicity, recent research has also found that Medicaid expansion is leading to improved health outcomes such as a reduction of premature deaths. Authors also note that a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), of which the Medicaid expansion is part, would worsen racial disparities and lead to more than 21 million people losing their current health coverage. #racialequity