{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: The uneven impact of Medicaid expansion on rural and urban Black, Latino/a, and White mortality.
{Author}: Mueller JT;Baker RS;Brooks MM;
{Journal}: J Rural Health
{Volume}: 0
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Jul 10
{Factor}: 5.667
{DOI}: 10.1111/jrh.12859
{Abstract}: <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To determine the differential impact of Medicaid expansion on all-cause mortality between Black, Latino/a, and White populations in rural and urban areas, and assess how expansion impacted mortality disparities between these groups.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We employ a county-level time-varying heterogenous treatment effects difference-in-difference analysis of Medicaid expansion on all-cause age-adjusted mortality for those 64 years of age or younger from 2009 to 2019. For all counties within the 50 US States and the District of Columbia, we use restricted-access vital statistics data to estimate Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) for all combinations of racial and ethnic group (Black, Latino/a, White), rurality (rural, urban), and sex. We then assess aggregate ATET, as well as how the ATET changed as time from expansion increased.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Medicaid expansion led to a reduction in all-cause age-adjusted mortality for urban Black populations, but not rural Black populations. Urban White populations experienced mixed effects dependent on years after expansion. Latino/a populations saw no appreciable impact. While no effect was observed for rural Black and Latino/a populations, rural White all-cause age-adjusted mortality unexpectedly increased due to Medicaid expansion. These effects reduced rural- and urban-specific Black-White mortality disparities but did not shrink the rural-urban mortality gap.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>The mortality-reducing impact of Medicaid expansion has been uneven across racial and ethnic groups and rural-urban status; suggesting that many populations-particularly rural individuals-are not seeing the same benefits as others. It is imperative that states work to ensure Medicaid expansion is being appropriately implemented in rural areas.