Newly Insured Populations Projected To Have Higher Rates Of Addiction & Lower Rates Of Mental Illness Than Traditional Medicaid Population

Among the approximately 25 million individuals that are projected to gain insurance as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the prevalence of addiction is higher and serious mental illness (SMI) is lower than among current Medicaid beneficiaries. Addiction disorder prevalence is 11.9% among Medicaid beneficiaries, 13.6% among the Medicaid expansion population, and 14.3% among people eligible to enroll in health insurance marketplace plans. SMI prevalence is 9.6% among Medicaid beneficiaries, 5.4% among the Medicaid expansion population, and 4.7% among people eligible to enroll in health insurance marketplace plans.

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