{
  "id": 7473053,
  "title": "Did the ACA reduce mortality?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/did-the-aca-reduce-mortality",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-15T04:30:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Marginal Revolution",
    "slug": "marginal-revolution",
    "url": "https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2026/09/did-the-aca-reduce-mortality.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent research has found that Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have reduced mortality, but there is no evidence on the overall effect of the ACA on mortality. This knowledge gap was addressed in a new NBER working paper by Anuj Gangopadhyaya, Cuiping Schiman, and Robert Kaestner. The authors utilized a unique empirical approach to analyze the impact of the ACA, including Medicaid expansions, on mortality among non-expansion states. By leveraging longitudinal data from the NHIS Linked Mortality Files and employing difference-in-differences and difference-in-differences-in-differences research designs, the researchers were able to estimate the effects of the ACA, the Medicaid expansions, and the combined impact of both on mortality. The findings reveal that while Medicaid expansions did not have a positive effect on mortality, the ACA, after accounting for Medicaid expansions, did reduce mortality.",
  "summary": "Many of us brought up related points at the time, but basically we were booed off the reservation: While recent research has provided evidence that the Medicaid expansions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reduced mortality, there is no evidence on the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) net of the Medicaid expansions on […] The post Did the ACA reduce mortality? appeared first on Marginal…",
  "key_points": [
    "Medicaid expansions under ACA did not reduce mortality",
    "ACA, after accounting for Medicaid expansions, reduced mortality",
    "Study used difference-in-differences research designs"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Affordable Care Act's overall impact on mortality was positive, distinct from and beyond the effects of its Medicaid expansions, according to new research on US mortality data.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}