Uninsured adults in Kentucky had a lot to gain from Medicaid expansion, study says

WCPO Cincinnati

By: Paola Suro

Medicaid expansion dramatically changed the outlook for low-income, uninsured people in Kentucky, according to a new study on the role of Medicaid expansion. The study points to a “striking” reduction in the rate of uninsured adults living in small towns and rural counties. The Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children & Families conducted the study. According to its report, the uninsured rate for low-income adults has decreased in nearly all U.S. states since 2008-2009. But the sharpest declines were seen in small towns and rural populations, from 35 percent to 16 percent in 2015-2016. The study defines low-income adults as those living below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Kentucky, an early adopter of Medicaid expansion, experienced one of the biggest drops in the uninsured rate in rural areas, researchers found.

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