This poster details the effects of Medicaid coverage expansion since the Affordable Care Act began the inclusion of childless adults below the poverty level. This change has created a divide in how different states handle Medicaid coverage and this study examines how states undergoing Medicaid expansion differ in their treatment of individuals who may need the extra benefits offered by traditional Medicaid.

Researchers studied 14 different states and found substantial differences in how each state assessed eligibility for Medicaid coverage. In states like Massachusetts, individuals who were applying for disability-based Medicaid could self-declare that they had special medical needs, while in other states like North Dakota, applicants are given a questionnaire which is evaluated by a medical professional and then reviewed by the State Department of Human Services to determine Medicaid eligibility.