Recent studies have shown evidence that Medicaid reduces mortality, however, debate continues over how policymakers should weigh different types of research when considering changes to coverage, according to an analysis in JAMA Health Forum .

The debate and discussions gained urgency after the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” act, which the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated would reduce Medicaid coverage by about 10 million people. Based on these discussions, the key policy question was how such cuts could affect mortality.

Understanding why mortality is difficult to measure reveals the challenges policymakers face.

Mortality is the ultimate health outcome, but also one of the most difficult to study, according to the JAMA analysis. Deaths are relatively rare over s

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