Medicaid continues to be the nation’s largest health insurance program for low-income people. This report examines some of the policies states implemented for providing coverage. Relevant data from each state are included in tables at the end of the report.
Summary
Medicaid continues to be the nation’s largest health insurance program for low-income people. Combined with State Children’s Health Insurance (SCHIP) programs, Medicaid serves more than 54 million Americans annually. This report shows state efforts concerning health care coverage for low-income women and children through Medicaid and SCHIP. The methods used by individual states to cover this population of mothers and children vary considerably. This report examines some of the policies states implemented for providing coverage. Relevant data from each state are included in tables at the end of the report.
Among its most significant findings, the report shows:
- Medicaid continues to cover medical expenses for more than one-third of all U.S. births to low-income pregnant women—a level that has remained constant since the National Governors Association (NGA) began collecting data in 1986.
- As they emerge from their budget crises of the past few years, many states have begun to increase the number of people covered by Medicaid and SCHIP programs through expanded eligibility levels and enrollment policies for maternal and child health (MCH) populations.
- Ten states were able to achieve modest expansions and policy advances in continuous eligibility and other practices to maintain coverage for those enrolled in the Medicaid program.
Although future policies may bring additional variation between state Medicaid programs, the data included in this report reflects the status as of FY 2005 (the most recent data available).
