Health Matters

AS CONGRESS EYES SWEEPING cuts to Medicaid, the health care program for low-income adults that serves about 20% of people living in the U.S., a new study has a sharp conclusion: cuts to Medicaid will cost lives.

- Alana Semuels

The study, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research on May 5, tracked nearly 40 million people who gained Medicaid through state-based expansions under the Affordable Care Act from 2010 to 2022. It found that during that time, Medicaid expansions increased enrollment and reduced members' risk of death by 2.5%. People who enrolled in Medicaid because they gained eligibility saw a 20% reduction in their risk of death when compared with people in states who could not access Medicaid. Medicaid expansions saved about 27,400 lives from 2010 to 2022, according to the study.