Medicaid

In his latest Beyond the Data column, KFF’s President and CEO Drew Altman discusses how difficult it will be for states to replace lost federal Medicaid funding should Congress make significant cuts.

Amid sweeping cuts to federal government health agencies by the Trump Administration, much of the public opposes cuts to funding and staffing, including some Republicans. Support of many of these cuts is largely partisan, however, there is agreement across parties when it comes to opposing cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Amid discussion of changes to the Medicaid program, most of the public say that Medicaid is important to their local communities. About two in ten favor cuts to Medicaid spending. Support for Medicaid cuts remain low even among typically conservative groups such as Republicans, Trump voters, and those living in rural communities. The poll also gauges the impact of arguments for and against Medicaid work requirements and reductions to federal spending on ACA expansion.

Changes to Medicaid funding, eligibility and enrollment could impact hospital finances. This interactive map shows the number of hospitals in each congressional district. There is at least one hospital in each of the 435 congressional districts.

This brief explores data about rural hospitals’ financial health and stability at a time when Congress is considering potential federal budget cuts. It examines the prevalence of rural hospitals, their characteristics and finances, federal support for these facilities, and the potential impact of reductions in Medicaid and Medicare spending that are under consideration.

This data note examines rural hospitals’ operating margins in recent years. After seeing higher margins early in the pandemic, likely due to government relief funds, rural hospitals now face renewed challenges, especially in states that have not expanded Medicaid.

This data note examines trends in hospital margins from 2018 through 2023 and how operating margins varied across different types of hospitals in 2023. It shows the industry overall experienced a rebound in 2023 after margins fell sharply the previous year, though some hospitals – particularly those in rural areas and those who see many Medicaid patients – continue to struggle.

This brief reports on community health center patients, services, experiences, and financing in 2023 and analyzes changes from 2019 (pre-pandemic) through 2023 using data from the Uniform Data System (UDS) and the 2022 Health Center Patient Survey.

This policy watch provides an update on the latest trends in children’s routine vaccination and exemption rates and discusses how these trends could be impacted by the administration change.