Protect Medicaid Funding series (2023)

Executive Summary

A 2024 update of this series can be found here.

In an updated series of fact sheets called Protect Medicaid Funding, NHeLP provides succinct analysis of the policy proposals that if enacted would jeopardize the health and financial security of the tens of millions of low-income individuals who depend on the Medicaid guarantee every year.

Medicaid helps people live healthier and more economically secure lives. It increases the diagnosis and early treatment of chronic conditions, enhances educational achievement and future earnings for covered children, reduces health care inequities, and provides comprehensive, high-quality, and cost-effective care. Medicaid coverage is tailored to the unique needs of individuals and families with low incomes but still costs less per beneficiary than private insurance. Medicaid’s core beneficiary protections make the program work for enrolled populations, including children, parents, pregnant people, low-income workers, older adults, and people with disabilities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid has provided essential health care coverage, including for individuals who lost their employer-sponsored coverage due to the pandemic-related economic downturn. Furthermore, the continuous Medicaid coverage provision enacted by Congress in early 2020 nearly eliminated “churn” among Medicaid beneficiaries, ensuring individuals have steady, reliable health care coverage during an unprecedented pandemic.

Despite Medicaid’s proven success and efficient use of funds, detractors repeatedly seek to cut or cap funding for the program. These proposals seriously jeopardize the health and financial security of the 91.8 million people who benefit from Medicaid and CHIP.