More Than One Million People Would Gain Jobs if Remaining States Adopted Expansion.
Yesterday, the Commonwealth Fund released a report detailing the vast economic benefits of Medicaid expansion. Thanks in part to the financial incentives under the American Rescue Plan, if the 14 remaining holdout states expand their Medicaid programs, more than one million people would gain jobs and states would receive a total of $49 billion in federal funding. According to the Commonwealth Fund, this would lead to stronger state economies: “If the 14 states expand Medicaid, from 2022 to 2025 state output will rise by more than $600 billion, state gross products will increase by $350 billion, and personal incomes will grow by $218 billion in these states.” Additionally, the report confirms that more than 6 million people would enroll in Medicaid coverage. Local coverage makes clear this deal is too good to pass up.
COVERAGE:
(GA) The Augusta Chronicle: Study: Medicaid Expansion in Georgia Could Bring 64,000 Jobs. “If Georgia expanded Medicaid to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, which is $30,305 a year for a family of three, the state would have a net gain of more than $3.5 billion in federal funding in 2022 and the state’s share of $374 million would be offset by $110 million in increased state and local tax revenue, according to the analysis. Part of that economic impact would come from 64,300 new jobs, about 22,000 in health care but others in industries that would benefit as that money ‘ripples through the rest of the economy,’ Ku said.” [Augusta Chronicle, 5/20/21]
(FL) News Service of Florida: Report Points To Medicaid Expansion Benefits. “Florida could add 134,700 jobs, lower the number of uninsured residents by 852,000 and pump billions of additional federal dollars into the economy if it would expand Medicaid to low-income adults without children, according to a report released Thursday. The Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based organization that focuses on health-care issues, released the report, which said expanding Medicaid in Florida would add 61,600 health-care jobs from 2022 to 2025. It also said an expansion would lead to job increases in the construction, retail, finance and insurance sectors.” [News Service of Florida, 5/20/21]
(MS) Magnolia State Live: Report: Mississippi Could Gain 21,700 Jobs Under Medicaid Expansion. “In Mississippi, of the 21,700 new jobs possibly created with Medicaid expansion, 12,500 of the jobs will be created in healthcare, 1,400 in construction, 2,600 in retail, 400 in finance and insurance and 4,900 in other sectors, according to the report, The Economic and Employment Effects of Medicaid Expansions Under the American Rescue Plan.” [Magnolia State Live, 5/20/21]