Medicaid

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Medicaid Midterm Election Update

Midterm Election Update: Medicaid Changes

Major federal changes to Medicaid eligibility and financing from the 2025 reconciliation law are coming, including new work requirements that will affect millions of Medicaid enrollees. KFF’s fact sheet provides an overview of what has changed, what is still ahead, and what the public thinks about Medicaid heading into the midterms.

There were 72.9 million people enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP nationally in July, and enrollment declined by 5.1 million or 7% from July 2025 through July 2026.

Medicaid/CHIP Monthly Enrollment Tracker

KFF's tracker presents the most recent Medicaid monthly enrollment data. There were 72.9 million people enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP nationally in July, and enrollment declined by 5.1 million or 7% from July 2025 through July 2026.

Medicaid work requirements

Nebraska Renewal Outcomes Among Individuals Subject to Medicaid Work Requirements

Early Medicaid Work Requirement Insights From Nebraska

This brief describes the verification process for Medicaid work requirements in Nebraska and examines early data on outcomes for individuals subject to work requirements. Among Medicaid enrollees renewing coverage under Nebraska's work requirements, 93% met the requirements or qualified for an exemption —while 7% lost coverage.

Tracking Implementation of the 2025 Reconciliation Law: Medicaid Work Requirements

KFF’s interactive tracks key data and policies that will affect how states implement Medicaid work requirements, which are required under the 2025 budget reconciliation law starting in January 2027. The tracker includes state-level data on Medicaid enrollment and renewal outcomes as well as current state enrollment and renewal policies. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the 2025 reconciliation law will increase the number of people who are uninsured in 2034 by 10 million. Coverage losses from Medicaid work requirements account for over half, or 5.3 million, of the increase in the number of uninsured.

understanding medicaid

Medicaid Financing: The Basics

Medicaid represents $1 out of every $5 spent on health care in the U.S. This brief examines key questions about Medicaid financing and how it works.

Medicaid and Provider Taxes

This brief explores how rules governing provider taxes are changing because of the 2025 reconciliation law and the regulations implementing that law, and summarizes which changes may affect each state.

5 Key Facts About Medicaid and Hospitals

This brief explains the role of Medicaid for hospitals, including how much spending on hospital care comes from Medicaid and how Medicaid expansion has impacted hospital finances.

Medicaid home Care

Medicaid Home Care/HCBS Survey

Since 2001, KFF has administered regular surveys of states about their Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) programs. The survey is sent to officials administering Medicaid HCBS programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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  • Medicaid and SCHIP Eligibility for Immigrants

    Fact Sheet

    Immigrants in the U.S. face increasing challenges securing health care coverage. They have less access to employer-sponsored insurance than native citizens and face tighter restrictions on their eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP, the nation’s major public health coverage programs for low-income children and families. This fact sheet provides an overview of the current rules on immigrants' eligibility for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Fact Sheet (.pdf)

  • Who Needs Medicaid?

    Issue Brief

    This brief reviews Medicaid’s current eligibility structure and the health needs of the people covered by Medicaid. Due to the trends of limited and declining access to private health coverage in the low-income population and the growing health and long-term care demands of an aging population, a broader model for Medicaid eligibility is considered and the implications of recent legislative and policy developments for coverage are assessed. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • Asset Transfer and Nursing Home Use: Empirical Evidence and Policy Significance

    Issue Brief

    Asset Transfer and Nursing Home Use: Empirical Evidence and Policy Significance Due to concern that wealthy elderly Americans were transferring assets to gain Medicaid coverage for nursing home care, the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 tightened Medicaid eligibility rules related to asset transfers. About 43 percent of all nursing home residents eventually become Medicaid eligible. This brief concludes that for people becoming Medicaid eligible at the time of nursing home admission, 50 percent had…

  • Beyond Cash and Counseling: An Inventory of Individual Budget-based Community Long-Term Care Programs

    Issue Brief

    Beyond Cash and Counseling: An Inventory of Individual Budget-based Community Long-Term Care Programs This brief describes the evolution of beneficiary-managed home and community-based services since the original demonstration and provides an overview of state activity as of January 2006. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 gives states the option to use this model for an expanded range of home and community based services in their state Medicaid plans without having to obtain a waiver. Issue…

  • Nursing Home Transition Programs: Perspectives of State Medicaid Officials

    Report

    Nursing Home Transition Programs: Perspectives of State Medicaid Officials This report draws on interviews with state Medicaid program officials for insight into the issues that arise in establishing programs to move individuals with significant long-term care needs from institutional to community settings. The five states that participated in this study—Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio and Washington—each received federal grants for nursing home transition activities and had varied experiences. Report (.pdf)

  • Medicaid Long-Term Services Reforms in the Deficit Reduction Act

    Issue Brief

    The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) was signed by the President in February 2006 and included major changes to the Medicaid program. This brief provides an overview of the changes to the rules and direction of Medicaid long-term care services as enacted in the DRA. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • Reports Explore Long-Term Care Issues Included in the Deficit Reduction Act

    Issue Brief

    The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005, which became law this February, includes several significant changes to Medicaid long-term care policies. The Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured is releasing five new reports on long-term care issues that were addressed by the DRA changes. Long-term care accounts for 36 percent of Medicaid spending (over $100 billion annually) and is utilized by many of Medicaid's most costly beneficiaries, the low-income elderly and individuals…

  • Medicaid’s High Cost Enrollees: How Much Do They Drive Program Spending?

    Issue Brief

    This brief presents new information on the distribution of Medicaid spending for all enrollees, including those residing in institutions. The analysis finds that fewer than five percent of enrollees (each exceeding $25,000 in annual costs) account for almost half of all Medicaid spending. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • Home Transition Programs: Perspectives of Medicaid Care Planners

    Report

    Home Transition Programs: Perspectives of Medicaid Care Planners This report draws on interviews with Medicaid care planners for insight into the issues that arise in establishing programs to move individuals with significant long-term care needs from institutional to community settings. The five states that participated in this study—Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio and Washington—each received federal grants for nursing home transition activities and had varied experiences. Report (.pdf)

  • Health Coverage for Low-Income Populations: A Comparison of Medicaid and SCHIP

    Issue Brief

    Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) are often compared because they both serve low-income populations. However, the populations served, the coverage offered and the structure of these programs have differed in important ways. With the passage of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, states can now apply some SCHIP-like principles to the Medicaid program. Moreover, SCHIP is due for reauthorization by Congress after fiscal year 2007. This issue brief examines the similarities…