The Long-Term Impacts of Medicaid

November 28, 2023
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM (MST)

Since its introduction in 1965, the Medicaid program has provided health insurance coverage for millions of low-income adults, children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. Over 92 million people are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), including roughly 25% of Montanans.

More than half of the children in the US are covered by Medicaid/CHIP, and a large body of research has demonstrated that investments in Medicaid have positive impacts on an array of outcomes during childhood, including reduced infant and child mortality, enhanced children’s health, and improved financial security for millions of families.

Researchers have also documented that the impacts of Medicaid evolve over beneficiaries’ lifetimes to include improved adult health, fewer hospitalization and emergency visits, and reduced disability and mortality in adulthood. Childhood Medicaid eligibility has also been shown to increase beneficiaries’ long-term educational attainment, employment, earnings, and financial stability, with the result that during ages 19-28, the government recoups 58 cents for each dollar invested in childhood Medicaid by age 28, and have continuing returns as beneficiaries age.