Medicaid Beneficiaries and Access to Care

The health reform law relies on a large expansion of Medicaid to reach many low-income uninsured people, many of them adults. This fact sheet summarizes Medicaid beneficiaries’ experience in obtaining access to care, a subject that is of keen interest in view of the planned expansion of the program.

Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program have substantially increased coverage among low-income Americans, especially children. Research shows that Medicaid compares favorably with private coverage in connecting low-income children and adults with primary and preventive care. At the same time, physician shortages, especially in primary care, have left growing access gaps, both in Medicaid and in the health care system as a whole.

Fact Sheet (.pdf)

Earlier Versions

October 2009 (.pdf)