How States Are Designing Medicaid Benefits for New Beneficiaries
<p>Under the Affordable Care Act, states can expand eligibility for Medicaid to adults who earn less than about $16,000 (or $33,000 for a family of four). If they do extend the program, states have flexibility to choose the level of coverage provided, based on a benchmark plan.</p> <p>For a new issue brief, Sara Rosenbaum and colleagues at George Washington University, explored how states are approaching coverage levels, and found that all states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility, plus the District of Columbia, have chosen to supplement the standard benchmark for newly insured adults with additional types of covered benefits, as well as a broader scope of benefits. In particular, nearly all states have chosen to offer generous prescription drug coverage, and at least some vision and dental benefits.
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