The Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH), a fellow National Alliance Coalition member, recently published the Business Case for Expanded Coverage report. In the ongoing public policy debate about publicly-financed health care coverage for low-income people, little attention has been paid to its implications for employers. To address this issue, PBGH conducted a literature review and convened a panel of experts to assess the evidence on the effect that coverage expansion, or reduction, can have on employers.
Are there quantifiable benefits to employers when coverage is expanded through Medicaid and other subsidies for low-income individuals? PBGH looks at the evidence.
"The evidence affirms that coverage expansion does create favorable impacts for employers by reducing uncompensated care in hospitals and potential attendant cost-shift, reducing avoidable utilization and costs associated with deferred care, improving the health of new workers and the potential workforce, and contributing to system-wide improvements in the delivery of care."
The purpose of the report is to summarize existing evidence that can inform employers’ discussions and positions as they consider whether and how to engage on these important issues at the Federal and state level.