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Medicaid Watch

Featuring policy research, polling and news about how Medicaid is changing, and the impact of those changes due to the tax and spending cuts law

budget reconciliation

Map shows the percentage point increase in the uninsured population due to the budget reconciliation package based on CBO estimates, by state. An Additional 10M People Nationwide Could be Uninsured in 2034 Due to the Budget Reconciliation Law

How Will the 2025 Reconciliation Law Affect the Uninsured Rate in Each State?

This analysis apportions the increase in the number of uninsured across the 50 states and DC. CBO estimates that the reconciliation law will increase the number of uninsured by 10 million in 2034. That number would rise to over 14 million if enhanced premium tax credits for ACA Marketplace enrollees expire later this year.

MEDICAID CUTS

Medicaid and work

Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid and Work

Data show that, in 2023, 92% of Medicaid adults were either working full or part-time (64%), or were not working due to barriers to work such as caregiving responsibilities, illness or disability, or school attendance -- reasons that counted as qualifying exemptions from the work requirements under previous policies.

understanding medicaid

5 Facts: Medicaid and Immigrants

Confusion persists about immigrants’ eligibility for federal programs. This brief helps readers understand how current Medicaid policy affects immigrants as well as the potential impacts of policy changes under the Trump administration.

5 Facts: Medicaid and Rural Areas

Approximately 66 million people live in rural areas – about 20% of the U.S. population. Nearly 1 in 4 of them have Medicaid, a higher share than in urban areas (24% vs 21%).

5 Facts: Medicaid and Hospitals

Absorbing reductions in Medicaid spending could be challenging for hospitals, particularly for those that are financially vulnerable. This brief provides data on the reach of Medicaid across hospitals, patients, and charity care.

5 Facts: Provider Taxes

All states except Alaska cover some state Medicaid costs with taxes on health care providers. This brief uses data from KFF’s 2024-2025 survey of Medicaid directors to describe current practices and the federal rules governing them.

5 Facts: Nursing Facilities

Amid debates about federal Medicaid cuts, which could cause states to lower Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing facilities, this brief explains how Medicaid supports nursing facilities and the people living in them.

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  • What Does the Federal Government Spend on Health Care?

    Issue Brief

    As Congressional Republicans and President Trump search for trillions of dollars in cuts to mandatory federal spending that could help offset the cost of extending expiring tax cuts, this brief analyzes current support from the federal government for health programs and services, including both spending and tax subsidies as context for those federal budget discussions.

  • 5 Key Facts About Medicaid Coverage for Adults with Mental Illness

    Issue Brief

    Nationwide, an estimated 52 million nonelderly adults live with mental illness, and Medicaid covers nearly one in three (29%) of them, or about 15 million adults. More than 1 in 3 Medicaid enrollees has a mental illness. Mental health treatment rates for Medicaid adults are higher than or similar to those with insurance.

  • What is Medicaid Home Care (HCBS)?

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief provides an overview of what Medicaid home care (also known as “home- and community-based services” or HCBS) is, who is covered, and what services were available in 2024.

  • 5 Key Facts About Medicaid Work Requirements

    Issue Brief

    Work requirements in Medicaid have resurfaced as part of a broader legislative package of potential changes to Medicaid designed to significantly reduce federal Medicaid spending. This brief highlights five key facts about Medicaid work requirements, including the share of Medicaid enrollees who currently work, what research shows about the impact of work requirements, and the administrative burdens associated with implementing them.

  • 10 Things to Know About Medicaid

    Issue Brief

    At the start of 2025, many issues are at play that will affect Medicaid coverage, financing, and access to care. While Medicaid was not discussed much on the campaign trail, Congress may consider big changes as part of tax and spending debates and the Trump administration may make changes to Medicaid through executive actions. Amid the potential changes, this brief highlights ten key things to know about Medicaid.

  • The Two Big Decisions That Will Drive Health Policy

    From Drew Altman

    KFF’s president and CEO Drew Altman writes in a new column about the factors driving the biggest health policy decisions now—how to pay for tax cuts and whether President Trump wants another big fight about health care.

  • Eliminating the Medicaid Expansion Federal Match Rate: State-by-State Estimates

    Issue Brief

    This analysis examines the potential impacts on states and Medicaid enrollees of eliminating the 90% federal match rate for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expansion. Eliminating the federal match rate for adults in the Medicaid expansion could reduce Medicaid spending by nearly one-fifth ($1.9 trillion) over a 10-year period and up to nearly a quarter of all Medicaid enrollees (20 million people) could lose coverage.