Medicaid’s 50th anniversary marks a major milestone in our progress as a nation in providing all of our children access to the health care they need to help them stay healthy. The growth in the program has also spurred more research on its benefits over time, and the most recent studies indicate that access to Medicaid for children not only translates into short terms gains, but positive long-terms effects as well.

Researchers exploring the long-term effects of Medicaid coverage found that children who have access to Medicaid coverage were healthier as adolescents and teenagers:

• They were less likely to engage in risky behavior as adolescents.
• They had fewer reported mental health issues and eating disorders during high school.

Studies found that the effects of childhood access to Medicaid also translated into positive health outcomes for these children as adults:

• Children with access to Medicaid were more likely to be healthier as adults.
• Early access to Medicaid coverage played a role in lower rates of costly hospitalizations and emergency room visits in adulthood.

Access to Medicaid coverage has also been shown to have long-term effects on areas outside of health:

• Children with access to Medicaid through the eligibility expansions in the 80s and 90s were more likely to graduate from high school and college.
• Access to Medicaid as a child indicate greater economic success as an adult, including increased tax payments in adulthood and greater economic mobility.

The Georgetown Center on Children and Families recently published a report, “Medicaid at 50: A Look at the Long-Term Benefits of Childhood Medicaid,” which goes into further detail regarding the current research on the long-term effects of children’s Medicaid coverage. Access the report here.

The Medicaid program (which includes BadgerCare) plays a vital role in covering children in Wisconsin:

• Over 500,000 children receive health coverage through BadgerCare and Medicaid.
• Nearly 1/2 of all births are covered by BadgerCare.
• Children make up the largest single group of the 1.2 million people covered by Medicaid in Wisconsin and are the least expensive group to cover.

Medicaid isn’t perfect. There is room for improving outreach, as well as enrollment and renewal processes. In addition, we have work to do to close gaps in access to services – particularly for dental care and mental health services. Nevertheless, the enrollment figures and very positive long-term effects illustrate why we need to preserve and strengthen Medicaid and BadgerCare for future generations of Wisconsin children.

Sashi Gregory