Medicaid Expansion Spotted Many Undiagnosed Diabetes Cases

The number of people with newly diagnosed diabetes increased by 23 percent in states that expanded the number of low-income people who are eligible for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, a new study reports. “The study demonstrated the benefit of new Medicaid coverage in identifying people with diabetes and initiating therapy in those historically not having health insurance,” Dr. Robert Ratner, chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association, said in an association news release. States that have chosen to expand eligibility for Medicaid — the government-run insurance program for lower-income people — now provide access to most non-seniors who make at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. That’s about $16,105 for an individual, according to the study researchers. The study compared 26 states that had initially expanded Medicaid to 24 states that had not. The number of new diabetes diagnoses grew by 23 percent in the states that had expanded Medicaid, compared to less than 1 percent in the states that didn’t expand Medicaid coverage.

Source/more: Philly.com

David Wingate is an elder law attorney in Frederick and Montgomery Counties, Maryland. The law practice includes Wills, Power of Attorneys, Trusts, Asset Protection and Medicaid (Medical Assistance.)