The Medicaid Program

155 Pages Posted: 3 Aug 2015 Last revised: 16 Jan 2025

See all articles by Tom Buchmueller

Tom Buchmueller

University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business

John C. Ham

National University of Singapore (NUS) - Department of Economics

Lara D. Shore-Sheppard

Williams College - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: July 2015

Abstract

In both its costs and the number of its enrollees, Medicaid is the largest means-tested transfer program in the United States. It is also a fundamental part of the health care system, providing health insurance to low-income families, indigent seniors, disabled adults and, in some states, low-income adults more broadly. This paper reviews the history and structure of the Medicaid program and the large body of economic research that it has spawned in the nearly half century since it was established. We begin by summarizing the program’s history, goals and current rules. We then present program statistics, mainly related to enrollment and expenditures. Finally we turn to the research on the impact of Medicaid on a broad range of outcomes, discussing theoretical and methodological issues important for understanding these effects and reviewing the empirical literature, describing what has been learned thus far, investigating areas where studies seem to reach different conclusions and pointing to areas where we believe additional research would be fruitful.

Suggested Citation

Buchmueller, Tom and Ham, John C. and Shore-Sheppard, Lara Dawn, The Medicaid Program (July 2015). NBER Working Paper No. w21425, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2638976

Tom Buchmueller (Contact Author)

University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business ( email )

701 Tappan Street
Ann Arbor, MI MI 48109
United States

John C. Ham

National University of Singapore (NUS) - Department of Economics ( email )

1 Arts Link, AS2 #06-02
Singapore 117570, Singapore 119077
Singapore

Lara Dawn Shore-Sheppard

Williams College - Department of Economics ( email )

Williamstown, MA 01267
United States
413-597-2226 (Phone)
413-597-4045 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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