The Medicaid expansion gap and racial and ethnic minorities with substance use disorders

Am J Public Health. 2015 Jul;105 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S452-4. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302560. Epub 2015 Apr 23.

Abstract

We compared the race and ethnicity of individuals residing in states that did and did not expand Medicaid in 2014. Findings indicated that African Americans and Native Americans with substance use disorders who met new federal eligibility criteria for Medicaid were less likely than those of other racial and ethnic groups to live in states that expanded Medicaid. These findings suggest that the uneven expansion of Medicaid may exacerbate racial and ethnic disparities in insurance coverage for substance use disorder treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Eligibility Determination
  • Ethnicity*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medicaid / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
  • Racial Groups*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / ethnology*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / therapy*
  • United States / epidemiology