A new study from the Alliance for Excellent Education provides data showing the link between educational attainment and Medicaid costs. This report highlights the important connection between investments in education and healthcare and ways we can target investments now to reduce costs in the future.
The report asserts that Mississippi would see over $50,000,000 in Medicaid savings by reducing the number of high school “noncompleters” by 50%. The study shows that those who complete high school are more likely to have health insurance, are healthier, and live longer than those who do not complete high school.
This is especially important in Mississippi as we rank 48th in the share of persons age 18-64 who have completed high school.[1] Rather than viewing Education and Medicaid as competing priorities, they should be viewed as interconnected. Investments in education today can improve the affordability of Medicaid in the future.
