It’s still not clear if alternative expansion plans will work in the long run, says Joel C. Cantor of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., who coauthored a commentary on the new findings.
“The unanswered question is whether it’s going to cost the government more, which ultimately would mean they couldn’t be continued,” Cantor tells Reuters Health by phone.
But it is worth testing different approaches to see what works, he says.
Other studies have found that expanding Medicaid has a positive impact on a state’s economy and employment numbers, he says.
“From the patient’s perspective there doesn’t seem to be a big difference,” Sommers says. “The message here really is for state policy makers and advocates in states that have not expanded coverage.”
“People who have insurance feel better,” Sommers says. “Any kind of expansion of coverage is a major improvement regardless of method.”
