Today, the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Center for Health Policy released a report examining the potential economic impact the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) new Medicaid program would have on Nebraska.
The results paint a clear picture that the state would receive significant returns on an investment made in the good health and well-being of its citizens through this new program under the ACA. In addition to providing critically needed health care access to more than 90,000 Nebraskans, an investment in this program would return $2.9 billion to $3.5 billion to the state, generate $700 million in economic activity and create and sustain more than 10,000 jobs every year over the next eight years.
“Investing in the health of Nebraskans has always been the right moral choice, but UNMC’s report is additional evidence that providing health care coverage through this new program under the ACA is also the right fiscal choice and the right economic choice,” said Jennifer Carter, Director of Nebraska Appleseed’s Health Care Access Program.
The report found that this new program under the ACA would result in:
- No more “hidden tax” – Uncompensated care costs, estimated to be more than $1 billion from 2014-19, are passed on by providers to health insurance companies and then to consumers, causing our premiums to go up. With the new Medicaid program the amount of uncompensated care given by providers would be reduced by $650 million from 2014-2019, reducing the cost-shift.
- A return of our tax dollars – $2.9 billion to $3.5 billion would be returned to Nebraska through 2020.
- Economic development – Those dollars would bring in $700 million in economic activity every year and 10,000 jobs each year to Nebraska through 2020.
“This new program is an opportunity the state cannot afford to miss if we are serious about addressing the problems in our health care system,” Carter said. “It is a real solution that will not only provide needed health care, but will return billions of dollars back to our state, invest in the health of our workforce and economy, reduce the burden on Nebraska families, and ensure our children have a healthy future.”