Study: Medicaid Expansion Has Lowered Consumers' Medical Debt

The expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act has lowered the burden of medical debt for some low-income consumers, according to a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research. The study looked at the medical-debt collection balances referred out to debt collectors in areas with high populations of low-income patients. The study's authors' estimates "'imply a reduction in collection balances of around $600 to $1,000 among those who gain Medicaid coverage.'"