By Linda J. Blumberg, Institute Fellow, Urban Institute, and Cindy Mann, Partner, Manatt Health

As coronavirus paralyzes broad swaths of the economy, the United States is poised to experience an unprecedented increase in the number of people losing jobs, incomes and health insurance coverage. The nation’s public health depends upon people being able to receive treatment for the virus, and this large, newly low-income population will be at risk of not seeking or receiving necessary care.

In states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many of the workers losing their jobs and their health insurance will be eligible for Medicaid—but 14 states have yet to expand Medicaid eligibility.

In a new brief co-authored with Linda Blumberg of the Urban Institute, Manatt Health investigates the following key questions:

• If these states move to expand Medicaid, how would they do it and how long would it take them to get expanded eligibility operational?
• What are the stumbling blocks that these states face if they want to put a program in place?

Click here to read the full brief.