The Implications of a Loss in Public Health Coverage
A new Health Affairs article and a policy brief examine the implications of cuts to public coverage programs like Medicaid and SCHIP. The Health Affairs article finds that Medicaid and SCHIP cuts would increase emergency department visits by the uninsured, suggesting that cost containment actions on public coverage programs would shift costs to hospital uncompensated care. The policy brief examines the share of current enrollees in public programs who would have other coverage options if…