Document Type
Working Paper
Date of this Version
9-8-2020
Advisor
Molly Candon
Abstract
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the variations in health spending and health outcomes across states have further diverged. While some states have increased their overall funding of Medicaid, others, like Texas, have not increased Medicaid coverage nor have they kept funding equal to inflation levels. This research paper examines and compares the health outcomes of states with higher uninsured populations and the ability to meet UNESCO defined standards for social responsibility in the health care sector. Based on literature review and a case study of health outcomes for low-income patients and disabled individuals, this paper finds that non-expansion Medicaid states are not capable of meeting UNESCO defined standards, due to the barriers to mental health care and the likelihood of long-term disparities in health outcomes for low-income and disabled individuals.
Keywords
health care, Medicare, Medicaid, Connecticut, Texas, Medicaid expansion, health equality
Included in
Business Commons, Community Health Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Services Administration Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Quality Improvement Commons
Date Posted: 09 October 2020