Medicaid Expansion Among Nonelderly Adults and Cardiovascular Disease: Efficiency Vs. Equity

Policy Points Evidence suggests Medicaid expansion has improved cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, especially among those of lower socioeconomic status. However, less is known about the cost-effectiveness of Medicaid in achieving these outcomes and reducing CVD disparities. We found that Medicaid expansion resulted in a reduction in CVD incidence, suggesting that it was cost-effective in reducing CVD outcomes and equity enhancing but with a high degree of uncertainty. Policymakers will need to trade-off among a number of different factors in consideration of the value of Medicaid including health (especially in treating the chronically ill), financial protection, reduced uncompensated care, and health disparities.

Evidence suggests Medicaid expansion has improved cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, especially among those of lower socioeconomic status. However, less is known about the cost-effectiveness of Medicaid in achieving these outcomes and reducing CVD disparities. We use distributional cost-effectiveness analysis methods to examine the efficiency and equitability of Medicaid expansion in reducing CVD outcomes.

A Monte Carlo Markov-chain microsimulation model was developed to examine lifetime changes in CVD outcomes and disparities as a result of expansion and the associated cost and quality-of-life impacts.

Medicaid expansion was associated with a reduction of 11 myocardial infarctions, eight strokes, and four CVD deaths per 100,000 person-years compared with no expansion. The largest reductions occurred for those with lower income and education, and those of Black and Hispanic race/ethnicity. We found that the benefits of expansion generally balanced out the costs while redistributing health from higher to lower income groups. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, we found-using a health opportunity cost threshold of $150,000-that Medicaid expansion was cost-effective in reducing CVD outcomes 53% of the time and both cost-effective (efficient) and equity enhancing 26% to 29% of the time.

Medicaid expansion resulted in a reduction in CVD incidence, suggesting that it was both cost-effective and equity enhancing in reducing CVD outcomes but with a high degree of uncertainty.