What Can We Learn About the Likely Effects of Future Expansions from Differences in Recent Medicaid Policies Across States and Within States Over Time?
This session consists of three papers that analyze the effects of recent differences in Medicaid policy across states and within states over time on the use of health care and health outcomes, thus providing insight into the likely effects of further expansions in Medicaid eligibility in many states in 2014. The first paper examines the effect of past expansions in Medicaid eligibility to low-income parents and child adults during the 1997-2011 time period on measures of the use of and access to health care. The second paper examines the effect of changes in Medicaid coverage of adult dental benefits and payment rates to dentists during the 2000-2012 time period on the use of dental care and dental health outcomes. The final paper compares the prevalence, awareness, and control of chronic health conditions among low-income adults with Medicaid to that for adults with private insurance. All papers use variation in state eligibility rules over time and state fixed effects to separate the effect of any relationship between Medicaid eligibility or participation and omitted variables affecting the use of health care or health outcomes.