MEDICAID FACTS WITH LINKS TO STATE DATA
Summary: Medicaid is a lifeline to more than 1 in 5 people in the US including people with disabilities, children, seniors, low-income adults with disabilities, rural residents, veterans, military families, and pregnant women. 17 million enrollees are disabled people and older adults. See state Medicaid fact sheets here.
Medicaid means disabled and older people can live at home and age in place.
Medicaid is the largest payer of home and community-based services for disabled and older Americans who cannot afford these costs out of pocket. Any cuts to Medicaid risks sending disabled people and older adults back to institutions.
- More than 8 million older adults and people with disabilities rely on Medicaid for long-term supports and services in their homes and communities (HCBS) and 1.5 million people in institution nursing facilities. Approximately 710,000 are on waiting lists for HCBS in 2024. See your state waitlist numbers here.
- Medicaid pays for nearly 70% of all HCBS which is not covered by Medicare and private insurance. HCBS is likely to be impacted first by cuts because it is an optional Medicaid service. See your state percentage of Medicaid for HCBS here.
Medicaid’s federal-state partnership is popular and efficient.
Medicaid supports jobs in the healthcare sector, contributes to the state’s economy, and helps maintain the health and well-being of the population.
- Medicaid makes up 56 percent of total federal funding allocated to states, the largest source of federal funding to states. The federal government covers at least 50 percent of Medicaid program costs and states financing the rest. States share the cost of providing Medicaid benefits with the federal government. See your state share here. See your percentage of federal funding for state budgets here.
- Voters favor protecting Medicaid over making cuts. In 2023, 84% of voters favored protecting Medicaid from harmful cuts over cutting Medicaid. Today, at least twice as many people want to increase spending for Medicaid and Medicare than cut it.
For more information contact NACDD Policy Director Erin Prangley at eprangley@nacdd.org or your state council on developmental disabilities. Find contact information for state councils here.
To download the Fact Sheet, click here.
Revised as of February 2025
