The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, looked at 1,322,263 healthcare workers from 2010-2019. Medicaid expansion in states was associated with a 2.16% increase in annual incomes for the highest-earning healthcare workers, including managers and physicians.
Healthcare workers in lower-earning quintiles did not experience any significant compensation changes. Medicaid expansion was associated with a 3.15 percentage point increase in the likelihood that a healthcare worker received Medicaid benefits.
The findings suggest that improved hospital finances may result in greater economic inequity among employees, the researchers wrote.
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