Jun Li
Assistant Professor of Public Information and International Affairs, Syracuse University
Background: More than 44 million Americans receive help from informal caregivers at a societal cost of $522 billion annually, which reflects a health care system that provides limited support for formal long-term services and supports. The Affordable Care Act gave states the opportunity to expand Medicaid, which covers medical care and formal long-term services and supports for low-income and disabled adults under 65, with expansion associated with greater use of health care including increased use of formal long-term services and supports. Greater use of formal medical care (including long-term services and supports) has been observed to substitute for or complement informal care depending on the health of the population and availability of family and intergenerational supports. Thus, Medicaid expansion could be critical for how low-income, aging adults use informal care.
Aim 1: Examine the association between Medicaid expansion and informal care use among low-income adults
Aim 2: Estimate the association of Medicaid expansion with unpaid, informal care costs for low-income adults
Aim 3: Examine whether the relationship between Medicaid expansion and informal care use and costs varied by cognitive impairment, heavy informal care use, and low-income status.