The expansion of Medicaid had the good intention of promoting health. But well-intended policies can have unintended side effects. Medicaid expansion may well have had the unintended side effect of causing the perceived needs of adults to be prioritized over those of low-income children.
When contemplating future Medicaid policy adjustments, policymakers must consider how the opening of services to new enrollees affects the resources available to previously eligible enrollees. This is especially important in the case of low-income children, who are inherently vulnerable and for whom access to health services can have pronounced long-term effects.
