Medicaid Expansion and Mortality Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

Is Medicaid expansion associated with lower all-cause mortality among formerly incarcerated individuals, including those in racial and ethnic minority groups?In this cross-sectional study using difference-in-differences analysis of data on 2 210 000 formerly incarcerated people in 17 states, Medicaid expansion was associated with a 14% lower monthly odds of death. In stratified analyses, Medicaid expansion was associated with a 21% lower monthly odds of mortality among Black individuals and a 15% lower monthly odds of mortality among White individuals; no statistically significant difference was detected among Hispanic individuals.Results of this study suggest that expanding access to health insurance through Medicaid expansion may reduce mortality among formerly incarcerated people, particularly Black and White people, a population that experiences elevated mortality risks on return into the community.

Corresponding Author: Benjamin A. Barsky, JD, PhD, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, 200 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102 (barskyben@uclawsf.edu).

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