Data on burden of comorbidities in the united states and medicaid expansion status

The high prevalence of comorbidities among US adults is a major public health problem. However, there is limited data on the geographic distribution of comorbidities. In addition, recent changes to health insurance programs in the US through the Affordable Care Act, and the Medicaid expansion program specifically, has the potential to significantly improve the prevention and management of comorbid conditions in the US. In a recent analysis, we examined disparities in the burden of comorbidities among US adults by state Medicaid expansion status, (Akinyemiju et al., 2016) [1]. Here, we provide additional data showing the state level mean number of comorbidities in all 50 US states for African–Americans and whites, stratified by Medicaid expansion status. In addition, we provide a map of the US states showing the geographic distribution of comorbidities and stratified by race/ethnicity and gender.