States expanding Medicaid coverage got an unexpected benefit from doing so: They saw increased employment levels among people with disabilities.

According to Reuters Health, a study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, disabled people with low-paying jobs were often unable to pay for their often costly medical care. As a result, they chose unemployment so they could qualify for Medicaid.

But when the ACA gave states the option to expand Medicaid coverage, that situation changed for at least some recipients. Under expansion rules, people earning up to 138 percent of the poverty rate could be covered under Medicaid — and more of them went to work.

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