Independent Analysis Shows Budget Savings Likely from Medicaid Expansion

Independent Analysis Shows Budget Savings Likely from Medicaid Expansion

The Maine Health Access Foundation releases preliminary findings from Manatt Health Solutions that show significant savings to the Maine state budget if Medicaid is expanded.

(AUGUSTA, MAINE)— Preliminary findings from a report commissioned by the Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) show that if Maine were to expand coverage through Medicaid it would result in more than $26 million in net savings to the state budget for 2016.  Findings are based on the experiences of eight states that chose to expand Medicaid coverage in early 2014. While these states are using different expansion models available under Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act, all are seeing significant state budget savings and revenue gains from expansion. 

MeHAF contracted with nationally-recognized Medicaid experts from Manatt Health Solutions to analyze the impact of expanding Medicaid on Maine’s budget.  Manatt’s analysis is a discrete assessment of estimated state costs, savings and revenue gains.  It does not include any evaluation of the broader economic impacts of expansion.  Manatt used publicly available Maine data coupled with the new information from states that expanded their Medicaid programs in 2014 to develop conservative savings estimates for Maine. 

“Evaluating the budget impact of coverage expansion is consistent with MeHAF’s commitment to use data to inform policy decisions that advance our mission to promote access to care for the uninsured,” said Wendy Wolf, President and CEO of the MeHAF.  “The Manatt analysis will help policy makers, business leaders and the people of Maine understand what Medicaid expansion could mean for our state.”

To view Manatt’s preliminary findings, visit www.MeHAF.org/Manatt.