This policy brief examines original research to show that nearly 500,000 direct care workers are shut out of Medicaid eligibility because their states have refused to expand the program under the terms of the Affordable Care Act. These workers, who live in the 21 “non-expansion” states, fall into the “coverage gap,” the report says; they earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid in their states, but not enough to qualify for federal subsidies that would help them buy insurance on health care exchanges.
Key Takeaways
To ensure an adequate workforce supply in coming decades, affordable health coverage options will be crucial.
Health coverage is critical to workers and to consumers, as it enables workers to remain healthy and provide quality care.
Direct care workers in particular stand to benefit from more affordable health coverage options, including access to Medicaid.
