# Medicaid versus Private Coverage for Low-Income Families: What are the Tradeoffs between Cost-Sharing and Access to Care

> **NIH AHRQ R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2020 · $265,253

## Abstract

Abstract
Not all health insurance is created equal. Medicaid typically provides coverage with little or no
patient cost-sharing, while many private non-group health insurance plans expose patients to
high out-of-pocket spending. On the flip side, not all providers will accept Medicaid patients, so
that access to providers may be better with private coverage. We propose to evaluate the pros
and cons of Medicaid versus private coverage for low-income families using a regression
discontinuity design that exploits the sharp cutoff in Medicaid eligibility in many states at 138%
of the poverty level. Outcomes to be analyzed include out-of-pocket health care spending and
access to care. We will also analyze the spillover effects of Medicaid versus private coverage on
the use of other social welfare programs such as Food Stamps/SNAP and Supplemental
Security Income (SSI). Data for the analyses will come from the Current Population Survey and
the Medical Expenditure Panel Study.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9935074
- **Project number:** 5R01HS026488-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Mireille Jacobson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AHRQ
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $265,253
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9935074

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9935074, Medicaid versus Private Coverage for Low-Income Families: What are the Tradeoffs between Cost-Sharing and Access to Care (5R01HS026488-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9935074. Licensed CC0.

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