JSIT21-04: The Impact of Medicaid Enrollment Expansion on the Health Well-being of Social Security Beneficiaries

Abstract

Medicaid is a necessary source of supplemental healthcare coverage for Social Security beneficiaries, however, there are various regulations in place regarding eligibility to receive Medicaid for these low-income people in different states across the country. Social Security beneficiaries are more likely to need Medicaid coverage since they are more vulnerable given their relatively lower income, standard of living, and health condition. Therefore, these regulations effect the health of Social Security recipients in the states with more restrictive Medicaid policies (e.g., a separate Medicaid application). In this study, we use data from Current Population Survey (CPS) and Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to understand the effect of the state-wide expansion of automatic enrollment on Social Security beneficiaries and to provide the first descriptive study of the health well-being of Social Security beneficiaries who have Medicaid coverage. This research investigates the following research questions: (i) Did the health of Social Security beneficiaries improve in the states with Medicaid expansion in place versus the states without? (ii) Which group within Social Security beneficiaries had their health condition impacted due to Medicaid expansion? And are there average differences in reported health of our demographic? This research will facilitate a better understanding of the causal effects of Medicaid policy regimes on the health well-being of Social Security recipients across different states.