This joint whitepaper from consultants at The Lewin Group and OptumInsight focuses on the changes ahead for state Medicaid programs as a result of enrollment surges due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

States need to answer two critical questions: 

1. How does my state juggle existing program challenges and cost considerations?
2. How do we prepare for an unknown number of new enrollees with different health care needs than the current Medicaid enrollees?

To estimate the effects of ACA on state Medicaid programs, The Lewin Group employs its Health Benefits Simulation Model (HBSM), which is a micro-simulation model of the U.S. health care system. HBSM is a fully integrated platform for simulating policies and has been adapted to simulate the impact of ACA on major stakeholders. Using this model, The Lewin Group estimates that ACA will increase Medicaid spending by $421.3 billion between 2014 and 2019, with states paying out $17.4 billion, an average increase of 1.1 percent.

"Throughout the engagement, Lewin consultants listened to us and delivered superb analyses and thoughtful guidance–not canned solutions."  NONPROFIT HEALTH SYSTEM