ANCHORAGE: Early Wednesday The Pew Charitable Trust released a report entitled“States Find Savings Through Medicaid Expansion”. The Pew report cites a study by the Robert Wood Johnson foundation that found Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia will see a combined total of $1.8 billion in savings (and revenues) by the end of 2015.

Pew cites another report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. This study found that Connecticut, New Mexico, and Washington have all found state savings by accepting federal funds for Medicaid Expansion.

Savings have been huge in the Mental Health sector. Pew’s report notes that Michigan will see $190 million in savings by July 2015. Likewise, Kentucky will also see Mental Health savings in the realm of $30 million.

On the other hand, Pew notes the Urban Institute estimates that states turning down Medicaid expansion will see a loss of $423 billion in potential federal dollars by 2022.

“Study after study show states that have expanded Medicaid save money, and those that don’t lose out,” said Mike Wenstrup chair of the Alaska Democratic Party. “Alaska studies and national studies show expanding Medicaid will save money.”

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