Medicaid programme changes and the chronically ill: early results from a prospective cohort study of the Oregon Health Plan

Abstract

As policy-makers restructure public programmes to accommodate tight budgets and rising healthcare costs, people with chronic illness can easily be overlooked. Chronically ill individuals face disproportionate financial and health burdens. Small cost-saving policy changes can lead to widespread disenrolment that cascades into reduced access to healthcare services, altered utilization patterns, and financial strain.