A new University of Michigan study finds more Michiganders in the Medicaid expansion program are going to school and getting jobs.
The Healthy Michigan program launched in 2014.
Renu Tipirneni is with the U of M Institute for Health Care Policy and Innovation. She says a study of the program in 2016 and 2017 shows a 6% increase in Michigan Medicaid recipients finding jobs and going back to school.
Even larger increases in employment and school enrollment happened among African-Americans, men, people in their late 30s and 40s, and those with the lowest incomes.
“The goal should be to maintain those positive benefits that have been seen,” says Tipirneni.
But there is a new work requirement for people on the program in Michigan that just took effect. Tipirneni says it’s unclear what effect those requirements for Michigan Medicaid recipients will have on the positive effect of the health care expansion.
The study was and published in JAMA Network Open.
