OLYMPIA — States such as Washington that have expanded their Medicaid programs with federal funding are making far more progress in covering lower-income parents than are states that have rejected Medicaid expansion, according to a new Urban Institute study.
In some areas, said Genevieve Kenney, co-director of the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center, the politics surrounding Medicaid expansion may have overshadowed the program’s importance to families. She said the contrast between the two groups of states is stark.
“Parents in the states that have not expanded Medicaid have an uninsured rate close to 20 percent,” she said, “where it’s closer to 10 percent in the states that have expanded Medicaid. It certainly suggests that the Medicaid expansion is contributing to these differences.”
Health coverage for parents is good news for the entire family because it results in fewer unpaid medical bills, according to the report, and when parents are healthier they are better able to support their families.
Washington’s Medicaid program is called “Apple Health,” and every county hit its initial enrollment targets for the expanded coverage.
Mary Wood, acting director of the state Health Care Authority’s Eligibility Policy and Service Delivery Division, credits an army of community partners all getting the word out - from food banks to religious organizations to clinics. Wood said the state also is sharing information with school nurses.
The Urban Institute report, “Taking Stock: Health Insurance Coverage for Parents under the ACA in 2014,” is online at hrms.urban.org.
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