Medicaid

This Waiver Watch summarizes the recent history of work requirements, the current status of Georgia’s waiver, and key state and federal issues to watch.

This policy watch examines Mississippi’s recent Medicaid expansion activity, what expansion could mean for residents and the economy, and key developments to watch.

This issue brief examines the characteristics of the remaining uninsured population who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP using 2022 national survey data. Despite improvements in coverage, 25.6 million nonelderly people remained uninsured in 2022.

This issue brief examines well-child visit rates overall and for selected characteristics before and after the pandemic began and discusses recent state and federal policy changes that could impact children’s preventive care. More than half of children under age 21 enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP received a well-child visit in 2019, but the share fell to 48% in 2020, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This brief looks at Medicaid reimbursement rates for abortion services across states, including D&C and D&E procedures, and medication abortion. There is tremendous variability in how much states reimburse for abortion services.

People who are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid coverage can get their Medicare coverage in a variety of ways. The brief breaks out the data for traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans that are available to all Medicare beneficiaries, and plans that are designed specifically for dual-eligible beneficiaries.

Substance use disorders contribute to a growing number of deaths, yet they often go undiagnosed and untreated. While nearly three-quarters of Medicaid enrollees with a diagnosed substance use disorder utilized some type of treatment service in 2020, medication treatment rates varied widely, being much lower for alcohol use disorder than opioid use disorder, and lower among Black enrollees and youth compared to their counterparts. Treatment rates varied considerably across states and average Medicaid spending for people with a diagnosed substance use disorder is over twice as high compared to those without a substance use disorder.

This brief takes a closer look at the five largest publicly traded companies operating Medicaid MCOs which account for half of Medicaid MCO enrollment nationally. Information and data reported in this brief come from quarterly company earnings reports, financial filings, and other company materials as well as from national administrative data.

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified pre-existing health disparities for justice-involved populations, with coronavirus infection rates among incarcerated populations higher than overall infection rates in nearly all states. Justice-involved individuals are disproportionately low-income and often have complex and/or chronic conditions, including behavioral health needs. Although the statutory inmate exclusion policy prohibits Medicaid from covering services provided during incarceration (except for inpatient services), states may take other steps to leverage Medicaid to improve continuity of care for justice-involved individuals.

This brief takes a closer look at the five largest publicly traded companies (also referred to as “parent” firms) operating Medicaid MCOs, which account for half of Medicaid MCO enrollment nationally. This analysis presents the latest enrollment and financial data (through the end of 2023) as well as key takeaways from the firms’ unwinding experience.