The study is commonly referred to as the MU study. In addition to MU?s study, there were two other studies performed during the same time frame. One study by the Missouri Office of Budget and Planning and the other by the Kaiser Foundation. All three conducted a cost and benefit analysis and concluded that an expansion would have a positive impact on Missouri?s economy. Chris Kelly, a former Missouri House representative for District 24, relied on the more conservative MU study when he advocated for the expansion in 2013. MU?s study used an economic simulator called IMPLAN 3.0 for its input and output data comparisons. Eligibility of enrollees was estimated at 220,932 individuals, although the assumption was that only 73% of those people would enroll. Therefore, the actual enrollment population was estimated at 161,281 people. The average healthcare cost for a Missouri Medicaid enrollee in 2011was $6,556 (v). The Affordable Care Act determined the cost-sharing for the Medicaid expansion for the first three years at 100% federal contribution and then a gradual reduction down to a 90% federal contribution rate and a 10% state contribution rate. The time span of MU?s study was from 2014 to 2020. The following numbers show the results from their …show more content…
His assumption is that the financial incentives will change with upcoming elections. Therefore the ACA enacted in 2010 may no longer be supported. Subsequently, his advice to the state governors is to explore a good private insurance deal without using state funds and not to opt for a ?less-good insurance? (Medicaid), which could get one ?thrown out of the office in the next election? (179-180). In other words, he favors alternative options which are not state funded and therefore free to the states. Antos also asserts that access to Medicaid providers has been an issue for current enrollees. Consequently, the issue would be compounded by an increase of new enrollees. However, he agrees, that the ACA significantly increased funding for community health centers and that it made other provisions to improve access, although, he questions, if those provisions are enough to increase the amount of Medicaid providers needed (183). Some Missouri state legislators may agree with Antos? position that if the expansion is not free to the states, then it will be too costly for them to implement. Another common argument by opponents is that Medicaid needs to be ?fixed? first. As a matter of fact, unless there is a study which specifically analyzes the