The Oregon Experiment — Effects of Medicaid on Clinical Outcomes

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In 2008, Oregon initiated a limited expansion of its Medicaid program for low-income adults through a lottery drawing of approximately 30,000 names from a waiting list of almost 90,000 persons. Selected adults won the opportunity to apply for Medicaid and to enroll if they met eligibility requirements. The researchers used the random assignment embedded in the Oregon Medicaid lottery to examine the effects of insurance coverage on health care use and health outcomes after approximately 2 years. They found that insurance led to increased access to and utilization of health care, substantial improvements in mental health, and reductions in financial strain.

Resource Details

Date: May 2013
Author: Katherine Baicker, et al.