Fierce Healthcare

By: Rose Meltzer

Rural states may have the most to gain from expanding Medicaid, according to a new study from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and North Carolina Rural Health Research Program. The uninsured rate is higher in rural areas than metro areas across the board, in expansion and non-expansion states, pre- and post-ACA. But coverage among low-income rural residents improved most in expansion states, the analysis says. The percentage of uninsured adults in rural areas dropped from 35% to 16% between 2008-09 and 2015-16 in expansion states. The uninsured rate declined in non-expansion states as well, but to a much lesser degree, from 38% to 32% over the same time frame. These coverage gains can benefit the healthcare landscape overall “in areas where shortages are all too common,” the study (PDF) notes.

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