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Providing needed access to healthcare for one in five people in the United States.

Medicaid is the nation's largest health insurance program providing medical and health-related services to low-income people.

Medicaid coverage leads to better health outcomes for participants—saving lives, lowering health care costs, making childbirth safer, reducing medical debt, and helping strengthen state economies. 

Financial barriers to care, particularly for people of color or those in low-wage jobs, is one of our nation’s clearest vulnerabilities. The Medicaid program is a critical lifeline for individuals in historically underserved communities and vital for improving the health of the nation.

Avenel Joseph, PhD, vice president, Policy

Featured Content

RWJF Staff Perspective

Strengthening Medicaid should remain a national imperative

Advances made by states being permitted to expand their Medicaid programs under the ACA are now at risk, especially for families who lost coverage due to disenrollment when continuous coverage ended on April 1. “This is a moment to invest in Medicaid, not abandon it,” says Avenel Joseph, RWJF vice president for Policy. “Policymakers must meet the moment with the urgency it requires.”

Read the op-ed on Route Fifty
Brief
Percent Decline in Total Health Care Spending if All States Drop ACA Medicaid Expansion, by State graphic.

Hospital Revenue Losses And Increased Uncompensated Care If Medicaid Funding Is Cut

Cutting federal Medicaid funding provided to states that expanded their Medicaid program under the ACA could lead to substantial losses in revenue for healthcare providers and spikes in uncompensated care.

1-min read

Healthcare Coverage and Access Policy and Law
Brief
A nurse takes the blood pressure of a woman at a table.

Imposing Per Capita Medicaid Caps and Reducing the Affordable Care Act's Enhanced Match

Capping federal government support, along with eliminating the enhanced federal matching rate, would shift hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare costs to states.

1-min read

Healthcare Coverage and Access Policy and Law
Research
Patients without insurance get assistance, Hidalgo Medical Services-Bayard Community Health Center, Bayard, New Mexico. Project ECHO

Closing the Medicaid Coverage Gap

Despite massive reductions in the number of uninsured Americans as a result of states expanding their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act, 10 states have not expanded eligibility, denying health coverage to nearly 2 million people.

1-min read

Healthcare Coverage and Access Policy and Law
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Research from the Field

10 Things to Know About Medicaid

At the start of 2025, many issues are at play that will affect Medicaid coverage, financing, and access to care. Amid the potential changes, this brief highlights ten key things to know about Medicaid.

Medicaid Expansion: Interactive Map

Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Forty-one states have adopted the Medicaid expansion; 10 states have not.

Serving States During A Crisis

Key factors for Governors and state leaders to consider when balancing state budgets and making difficult decisions about funding Medicaid during a pandemic and subsequent economic downturn.

Monitoring Medicaid Using Lived Experience

A guide highlights learnings from over 50 nonprofit organizations with the goal of grounding Medicaid advocacy in lived experience.