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Providing access to care 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.
A lifeline for people at every stage of life, Medicaid provides affordable health coverage for more than 79 million people with low incomes or disabilities throughout the United States. For 60 years, Medicaid has been an important part of America’s social safety net, a partnership funded by the federal government and states. For those who qualify, it covers a range of care including childbirth, routine medical services, support for those with disabilities, and nursing home care for older adults.
Medicaid strengthens communities for everyone, even those not covered by the program. It is a bedrock of state and local economies, supporting healthcare jobs and providing vital funding to hospitals, particularly in rural areas.
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While eliminating Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage would reduce federal spending, it would leave states on the hook to either generate billions in new revenue or remove millions of people from Medicaid.
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More than 6 million people could lose Medicaid coverage in 2026 if Congress enacts a work requirement for adults ages 19 to 64 in states that expanded their Medicaid programs.
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Closing the Medicaid coverage gap is the single biggest action the country can take to reduce the number of uninsured.
The refusal of some states to expand their Medicaid programs means that political considerations are being prioritized over healthcare, even in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic where health insurance can be the difference between life and death.
Story Spotlight
That's Medicaid shares stories of people helped by Medicaid at critical points in their lives.
Because of treatment covered by Medicaid, Gail returned to the workforce cancer-free after losing her job and health insurance temporarily.
With necessary services covered by Medicaid, Nicholas isn't held back by autism and instead has found a path toward independence.
LaVerne was covered by Medicaid while she finished her bachelor's degree. She called to be removed from the program when she got a job and employer-sponsored insurance kicked in.
Expanding who qualifies for Medicaid has driven increases in health coverage in America for more than a decade, but this progress is in jeopardy.
“Restricting access to this lifesaving program through work requirements or drastic funding cuts puts the health of millions at risk. Expanding and strengthening Medicaid—not weakening it—will bring America closer to the day when health is no longer a privilege for some, but a right for all.”
—Katherine Hempstead, senior policy adviser
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
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